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TALES AND TRADITIONS
OF THE
ESKIMO
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TALES AND TRADITIONS
OF THE
rr^
ESKIMO ^^^^^
WITH A SKETCH OF
THEIR HABITS, RELIGION, LANGUAGE
AND OTHER PECULIARITIES
BY
DR HENRY RINK
KNIGHT OF DANNEBROG
DIKECTOR OF THE ROYAL GREENLAND BOARD OF TRADE, ANI»
FOEMBRLY ROYAL INSPECTOR OF SOUTH GREENLAND
AUTHOR OF 'gRONVAND CEOGRAPHISK OG
STATISTISK JksKRBVET,' ETC.
TRANSLA TED FROM THE DANISH BY THE A UTHOR
EDITED BY
^^,.^,^ DR ROBERT BROWN
^ i 1^ R '\ H vr--> F.LS., F.R.G.S.
, , ,.„ ,_-- -,-^t— - - AUTHOR OF *THB RACES OF MANKIND, ETC.
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS, DRAWN AND
ENGRAVED BY ESKIMO ,
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON ^
MDCCCL5iXV
\ %
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PREFACE.
THE author of this work has partly resided, partly
been travelling about, on the shores of Davis
Strait, from the southernmost point of Greenland up
to 73"* north latitude, for sixteen winters and twenty-
two summers ; first as a scientific explorer, afterwards
as Royal Inspector or Governor of the Southern
Danish establishments in Greenland. The first series
of tales was published by him in 1866 ; but as this field
of ethnological investigation was at that time almost
uncultivated, much new material came to hand after
that publication, and, moreover, the author had then
only acquired such a degree of familiarity with the lan-
guage, as made it possible for him to understand his
native informants sufficiently well to write down their
verbal communications. In 1871 he determined to pub-
lish a new series of tales as a supplement to the former,
in which he has also described the general habits, religion,
and other peculiarities of the Eskimo, having by that
time been enabled to give a more comprehensive ac-
count of these subjects, and to make some farther
improvements on the first publication.
Besides the translation into English, a twofold object
has been aimed at in this edition: first, that of incor-
porating the two parts into one ; and second, of partly
abbreviating their contents. The principal aim of this
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90244
Vi PREFACE.
abridgment has been to make these accounts more
available to readers engaged in archaeological studies,
or investigations of the earliest history of mankind by
comparison of the traditional tales, languages, and re-
ligious opinions of the more primitive nations, in which
respect the Eskimo, and specially the Greenlanders,
have been studied more minutely, perhaps, than any
other similar people. Keeping this object in view, some
of the tales, as well as a certain part of the original
work, seemed to be of special interest only to the Danish
colonies, and have therefore been wholly omitted, or only
given in an abridged form, in the present publication.
The wholly modern study of " prehistoric man,"
which in our time is making such progress, has hitherto
almost exclusively been founded upon the study of
the ornaments, weapons, and other remains of primitive
peoples, which for this purpose have become greatly
valued, and are searched for in the bowels of the earth,
and drawn forth to light in nearly every part of the
globe. But the time will certainly come when any
relics of spiritual life brought down to us from pre-
historic mankind, which may still be found in the folk-
lore of the more isolated and primitive nations, will be
valued as highly as those material remains. In this
respect the Eskimo may be considered among the most
interesting, both as having been almost entirely cut off
from other nations and very little influenced by foreign
intercourse, and also as representing a kind of link
between the aboriginals of the New and the Old World.
Some illustrations, designed as well as drawn and
engraved on wood by natives of Greenland, are given,
the author having supplied the original blocks to be
used in this edition for this purpose.
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PREFACE. vii
As to the spelling of Greenland words and names, we
have to draw a distinction between those which are
more properly used as representing the foreign expres-
sions themselves, and those which have been wholly
embodied in the Danish or English language of the
text, and thereby subject to the orthography of these
languages. In the first instance, the words distinguished
by a different type, are spelt in exact accordance with
the orthography now adopted in the native schools of
Greenland. In the preliminary sketch, where this ortho-
graphy is explained, it will be seen that all the sounds
may be expressed by our usual Latin characters, with
the exception only of a deep guttural k, for which the
character K.has been formed ; the other more peculiar
sounds having been substituted by double consonants
or expressed by accents. The other letters are pro-
nounced almost identically with those of the German
and Scandinavian languages. In the second instance
we have, as far as possible, accommodated the mode of
spelling to the English pronunciation of the letters, in
some instances using ^ for j, gh for g, k, or in some more
peculiar cases, U for k, &c.; as, for instance, anghiak
(&ngiaK), kayak (£:aja&), kivigtok (jdvigtoK).
The personal and geographical names are given with
fewer alterations of the kind mentioned, and nearly
agree with the Danish orthography.
To prevent, as far as possible, misunderstanding and
farther corruption of the original Greenland words, we
have added, wherever it appeared necessary, in paren-
theses, how the word is most nearly to be pronounced
(pron. . . .), in other instances how it is to be correctly
spelt in Greenlandish (cor. sp. . . .)> ^is, for instance'
Kulange (pron. Koolanghee), angakok (cor. sp. ang&koK).
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via PREFACE.
The following general rules may be laid down : The
letter e at the end of a word is never mute, but always
to be pronounced ; ai is pronounced like y in by; i, like
i in it; g, like g in good; u, like oo.
In some instances we have used the Greenland plural,
formed by substituting a / at the end of the word, such
as angakut instead of angakoks.
As to uncommon words or expressions in general,
those peculiar to Eskimo life will be found explained in
the preliminary sketch. But in order to make the
stories more readable, as well as better understood, we
have, without paying particular attention ta^4hts, in-
serted the most necessary explanations in parentheses
or in notes, in different places of the text itself, where
it appeared most useful ; especially in the earlier pages,
where the expressions are first met with.
Dr Robert Brown, who at the author's request has
been good enough to revise the manuscript and make
such corrections or emendations in the style and con-
struction of the collection as in his judgment were ad-
visable, has had in his travels in the northern regions of
America, as well as in Greenland and on the western
shores of Davis Strait and Baffin Bay, an opportunity
of visiting the aborigines of these countries in their own
homes ; and these advantages, coupled with his long
personal acquaintance with the author, and his experi-
ence as a writer on Ethnology, have rendered him pecu-
liarly fitted for this friendly editorial task.
H. R.
KoNGL, Grondlandske Handei,
Copenhagen, Sept, 1875.
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CONTENTS.
THE ESKIMO.
Introductory Remarks,
I I. Subsistence aiid Mode' of Life,
II. Language,
III. Social Order, Customs, and Laws,
IV. Religion,
V. Traditional Tales, Science, and Art,
VI. Probable Origin and History,
VII. Influence of Contact with Europeans,
PACE
I
6
12
22
64
70
76
TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Introduction, ....
1. Kagsagsuk, ....
2. The Blind Man who recovered his Sight,
3. Igimarasugsuk,
4. Kumagdlat and Asalok,
5. Akigsiak, ....
6. The Friends,
7. Katerparsnk, ....
8. A Tale about Two Girls,
9. The Brothers visit their Sister,
10. Kunuk the Orphan Boy,
11. The Faithless Wife, .
12. The Man who mated himself with a Sea-fowl,
13. The Barren Wife,
14. The Two Brothers, ...
15. Giviok, . . . .
16. Tiggak
17. Malaise— The Man who travelled to Akilinek,
18. Navaranak or Javraganak,
19. Avarunguak or Agdlerut,
20. The Girl who married an Atliarusek,
21. The Ix)st Daughter, .
22. Angutisugsuk,
83
93
99
106
109
116
119
124
126
128
132
143
145
148
J 54
157
162
169
174
177
183
186
189
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CONTENTS.
\->n
23. Sitliamat, ....... I93
24- The Reindeer-hunt of Merkisalik, .... 197
25. Namak, ....... 202
26. The Lonely Brothers, ..... 208
27. Sikutluk, . ... .214
28. The Girl who fled to the Inlanders, .' . .217
29. The Orphans, . . . . .221
30. The Girl who went away in search of her Brother, . . 224
31. The Dog, 227
32. The Widow's Vengeance, ..... 228
3^. A Lamentable Story, ..... 232
Uvikiak, ....... 233
35: The Sun and the Moon, ..... 236
36. Nivnitak, ....... 238
37. The Brother who went to Akilinek in search of his Sister, . 248
38. Ussungussak or Savnimersok, . .255
39. The Child-monster, ...... 258
40. The Kivigtok, . . . . . . 260
/ 41. The Woman who got connected with the Ingnersuit or Under-
world People, ...... 262
42. About the Children of Two Cousins, . . 264
43. The Girl who was stolen by an Inlander, . . . 265
\44. The Child that was stolen by the Inlanders, . . . 268
45. The Angakok's Flight to Akilinek, .... 270
46. The Kayakers in Captivity with the Malignant Ingnersuit, . 278
47. The Orphan Boy Iliarsorkik, . . . .281
48. The Brothers who were lost on their Journey up the Fiord, . 286
49. The Solitary Kayaker, . . • . . . 288
y 50. Kasiagsak, the Great Liar, . . . .291
51. The Revived who came to the Under- world People, , 298
52. The Old Bachelor, ...... 300
53. Salik the Kivigtok, . - . . . . . 302
54. Stories about the Ancient Kavdlunait —
(i). Ungortok, the Chief of Kakortok, . . . 308
(2.) The First Meeting of the Kaladlit with the Ancient
Kavdlunait in Greenland, . . . 317
(3.) The Ancient Kavdlunait's Ruin near Arsut, . 319
(4.) Encounter of Kaladlit with the Ancient Kavdlunait
on the Ice, ..... 320
55. Pisagsak and the Kivigtok, . . .321
56. The Angakok Tugtutsiak, ..... 324
^ 57. The Witchcraft of Kulange, ..... 328
58. The Old Men's revenge, ..... 330
59. Aterfio, 333
60. Inugtujusok, . . ' . . . . 337
61. The Sons who avenged their Mother, . 341
62. Emersiak the Foster-son, ..... 346
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CONTENTS.
xi
63. The Old Southlander ....
351
64. Naujarsuak and Kukajak, ....
354
65. The Two Friends rescued by the Benevolent Ingnersuit,
358
66. The Strong Man on the Island of K'erka, .
361
€7. Niakunguak, ......
362
68. Augpilagtok, .....
366
69. The Angakok Ataitsiak practising his Art with the Benevo
lent Ingnersuit, . . . .
370
70. The Strong Man on Umanak,
373
71. Kigutikakcarriedoffby the Whalers,
376
72. The Man not to be looked at by the Europeans,
385
73. The Angakok from Kakortok,
389
74. Utereetsok's Journey to the Far North,
392
75. Savanguak, ......
396
76. Inuarutligak — whose Christian name was Peter Rantholl, .
400
77. Akutak and Inuinak, . . .
404
78. Amarsarsuak, the Kivigtok Woman,
410
79. Avatarsuak, who was baptised Nathan,
414
80. About the Men from the Firth visiting the People at the
open Sea-shore, ......
418
81. The Deserted Woman and her Foster-daughter,
420
82. Isigarsigak, ......
424
83. Atah'anguak, ......
427
84. A Visit to the Giants, ....
4281/-
85. Kagsuk,
431
86. The Dream and Convereion of Akamalik,
434
87. Sangiak, or Nemgajorak, . . . .
437
88. Atlunguak, .......
438
89. Nakasungnak, ......
438
90. TheAnghiak, .....
439
91, The Moon — Kanak, .....
440 •^
A Barren Wife, ....
441
Manguarak, ....
441
92. The Woman who wanted to be a Man,
442
93. An Angakok Flight, ....
443
94. The Means for Getting Children,
443 '^
95. Kanginguak, ......
444
96. Kigdlinararsuk, .....
444
97. A Man living on Karusuk, ....
445
98. Atarsuatsiak, ......
446
99. Among the Last Angakut at Kangerdlugsuatsiak,
446
100. Atungak, a Tale from Labrador,
447
10 1. Malarsuak, a Story from East Greenland, .
448
102. A Tale from Labrador, ....
449
103. Aklaujak, a Tale from Labrador,
449
104. The Giant of Kangersuak or Cape Farewell,
449
105. The Kidnappers, .....
450
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CONTENTS.
* io6. The Visiting Animals,
107. Avigiatsiak, ....
108. The Bird's Cliff,
109. Kuanak, an Angakok in South Greenland,
1 10. An Angakok on Kekertarsuak,
111. Singajuk and his Descendants,
112. The Cousins, ....
113. Manik, ....
1 14. The Land of the Isarukitsok Bird,
115. Kakortuliak, ....
116. The Kuinasarinook, .
117. An Old Man, who was always anxious to outdo other People,
V118. The Revenging Animals, ....
119. The Igdlokok, .....
12a Iviangersook travelled all around the Coast of Greenland,
121. A Married Couple remained Childless on account of their
both being Angakok,
122. An Old Man lost his only Son,
123. Angakorsiak was very proud of his Angakok Wisdom,
124. A Girl named Tuagtuanguak,
} 125. The Gifts from the Under-world,
126. TheTupilak,
t/'i27. The Grateful Bear, .
128. The Inhabitants of Akilinek,
129. The Mother and Son as Kivigtut,
130. The Help from Ingnersuit, .
131. The Removal of Disco Island,
132. The Amarok,
133. An Old Bachelor
134. A Girl named Isser6k,
135. The Sunrise, .
136. The Amarkuagsak, .
137. Saugak,
138. The Bloody Rock, .
139. Isigarsigak and his Sister,
140. A Woman named Arnasugaussak,
141. A Tale from East Greenland,
142. Another Tale from East Greenland,
143. The Swimmer, a Tale from Labrador,
144. The Natives of Labrador,
VI 145. The Shark as Provider,
146. A Woman named Alekakukiak,
147. The OceaU'Spider,
148. A Woman who was mated with a Dog,
149. Katigagse, .
150. Ordlavarsuk, .
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THE ESKIMO.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
WITH the exception of a few small and scattered
tribes who may be considered as the only link
between the coast people and the inlanders, the Eskimo
always have their habitations clgse to the ste, Qt on the
banks of rivers in the immediate vicinity of their outlets
into the sea. Even on their hunting and trading expe-
ditions they seldom withdraw more than twenty, and
only in very rare cases more than eighty miles, from the
sea-shore. Save a slight intermixture of European set-
tlers, the Eskimo are the only inhabitants of the shores
of Arctic America, and of both sides of Davis Strait and
Baffin Bay, including Greenland, as well as a tract of
about four hundred miles on the Behring Strait coast of
Asia. Southward they extend as far as about 50° N.L.
on the eastern side, and 60° on the western side of
America, and from 55° to 60'' on the shores of Hudson
Bay. Only on the west the Eskimo near their frontier
are interrupted on two small spots of the coast by the
Indians, named Kennayans and Ugalenzes, who have
there advanced to the sea-shore for the sake of fisliing.
These coasts of Arctic America, of course, also comprise
all the surrounding islands. Of these the Aleutian
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2 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
Islands form an exceptional group ; the inhabitants of
these on the one hand distinctly differing from the coast
people here mentioned, while on the other they show a
closer relationship to the Eskimo than any other na-
tion. The Aleutians, therefore, may be considered as
only an abnormal branch of the Eskimo nation. The
Aleutian language, though differing completely from
the Eskimo with regard to the sound of the words,
shows a great similarity to it in structure ; and otherwise
the Aleutians only seem to differ from the Eskimo in-
asmuch as some institutions have been slightly more
developed among them. On the other hand, all over
the eastern and widest parts of their territories the
Eskimo are very distinctly severed from the adjoining
nations. In the western part some slight transitions
may be traced : namely, in the case of the inland Eskimo
by the different situation of their dwelling-places ; in
that of the Aleutians by their language and social insti-
tutions. Finally, it may be mentioned that a few small
Indian tribes have adopted somewhat of the Eskimo
mode of life, which has also been the case with some of
their neighbours on the Asiatic side.
As regards their northern limits, the Eskimo people,
or at least remains of their habitations, have been found
nearly as far north as any Arctic explorers have hitherto
advanced ; and very possibly bands of them may live
still farther to the north, as yet quite unknown to us.
From the north-western to the southernmost point
the Eskimo territories in a straight line measure about
3200 miles. If we consider their extreme western range
to be Behring Strait, and their extreme eastern one
to be Labrador and Greenland, the natives from either
of these points would have to travel about 5000 miles
. along the coast in order to reach the others. Strictly-
speaking, these journeys might still be performed by
the natives with their own means of conveyance ; but
there are certain boundaries which, in our days at least,
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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 3
are scarcely ever passed — partly on account of natural
obstacles, partly because the nation at those points haS
been broken up into tribes, whose mutual intercourse
for the purpose of barter has been frequently interrupted
by hostilities. For these reasons the Eskimo might
now be divided into many smaller tribes. But from our
point of view the following principal divisions will be
sufficient : —
1. Tlu East Greenlanders, along the whole of the east
coast of Greenland down to Cape Farewell, the south-
ernmost of whom every year make bartering excursions
to the Danish settlement nearest the Cape, and have
intercourse with the next section.
2. The West GreenlanderSy or inhabitants of the
Danish trading districts from the Cape upwards to
74*^ N.L. In conformity with the administrative division
of the colonies, they are generally divided into North
and South Greenlanders — only the latter are not to be
confounded with the next, with whom they seem to
have had no intercourse whatever since these regions
have been known to Europeans.
3. The Northernmost Greenlanders, or inhabitants of
the west coast to the north of Melville Bay, or what Sir
John Ross called the "Arctic Highlanders."
4. TIte Labrador Eskimo.
S- The Eskimo of the middle regions, occupying all the
coasts from Baffin and Hudson Bays to Barter Island
near Mackenzie River. This division is the most widely
spread of them all — ^its territories representing an extent
of land, traversed and intercepted in many directions by
the sea, measuring 2000 miles in length and 800 miles
in breadth. Perhaps there may be reasons for estab-
lishing subdivisions of this section, but they do not
appear anywhere to exhibit such mutual differences as
those separating them from the next tribe, with whom
they have regular meetings on Barter Island.
6. The Western Eskimo, inhabiting the remaining
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4 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
coast of America from Barter Island to the west and
south. They seem to deviate from all the former in
respect of certain habits, such as the labial ornaments
of the men and the head-dress of the women. They
must also be considered as the nearest akin to the Aleu-
tians and the inland Eskimo, and in the vicinity of
Alaska they show traces of intermingled Indian blood.
This may be owing to the Indian women captured in
war with the Eskimo having been married into the
nation.
7. The Asiatic Eskimo,
As regards their development when they first became
known to modern Europeans, the Eskimo may be
classed with the prehistoric races of the age of the
ground stone tools with the exceptional use of metals.
It has been usual to designate all nations of this kind
as "savages ;" .some authors have even described them
as being totally destitute of those mental qualities
through which any kind of culture is manifested, such
as social order, laws, sciences, arts, and even religion.
That those opinions find utterance can scarcely be
wondered at when we observe the carelessness with
which such important questions are discussed, and see
travellers who merely go oa shore from a ship and
spend a couple of hours with the inhabitants proceed to
make inquiries as to their ideas of God and the origin
of the world ; and also how European settlers among
natives whose language they are quite unconversant
with pretend to have found them altogether without
religion. Such views, however, resting upon the pre-
judice of race and on superficial observation, are now
being abandoned. We have gradually been finding out
that manifestations of culture must be supposed to exist
in every nation, although they may not assume the same
form as those we observe among more advanced races.
We think it a great mistake to suppose any people de-
void of religion ; and it seems to us equally unreason-
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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. $
able to fancy a community of men living altogether
without laws, if by laws we understand bonds or restric-
tions by which the 'community voluntarily limits the
free actions of its members. In the lower stages of
development, the laws, being principally represented by
habits and customs, leave the individual perhaps even
less free than in a more civilised state, inasmuch as they
dictate his mode of life, and not even in his most pri-
vate and domestic affairs is he left to act at liberty.
These habits and customs are closely allied to the reli-
gious opinions, by which they are still more powerfully
influenced. When laws and religion were asserted to be
wanting, there was still less likelihood of art and science
being observed. In these introductory remarks we shall
endeavour to explain how these utterances of culture are
for the most part embodied in the traditional tales.
It is in accordance with the views here stated that
the author has been guided in attempting to divide and
arrange the subject-matter of the following remarks. It
has already been mentioned, and will, moreover, be-
come evident from the traditions, that the Eskimo ex-
hibit great -conformity and similarity, notwithstanding
their being spread over such vast territories. An ex-
amination of one of the principal divisions or tribes
named above will therefore more or less illustrate the
others. For this reason the Greenlanders, who are by
far the best known of all, may here be considered to
represent the Eskimo in general ; though it must not
be forgotten that, as there can scarcely have existed any
absolute stability with regard to culture lasting for
many centuries, there is also no absolute or actual
identity between the different tribes. It must therefore
be kept in mind that wherever no other particulars are
specially brought forward, the following descriptions
refer to the West Greenlanders, such as their state is
supposed to have been when Europeans came to settle
among them during last century — viz., in 1721.
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SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
I.— Subsistence and Mode of Life. '* -
The sustenance of the Eskimo is. -entirely derived
from the capture of seals and cetaceous animals, which
has made them inhabitants of the sea-shore. Both kinds
of animals enable them, especially by means of their
blubber, and the seals also by their skins, to brave the
severity of climate, and, independent of any vegetable
resources, to settle and procure the means of life as far
north as any explorers have hitherto found human in-
habitants. The seals are sufficient, and at the same
time indispensable, for this purpose. They are caught
partly from kayaks, or shuttle-shaped boats, and partly
from the ice and 'the shore. Among their more or less
peculiar hunting contrivances we may mention: (i)
Tlieir kayaks, or boats ^ which consist of a framework of
wood, joined together principally by strings, and pro-
vided with a cover of skins impenetrable to the water.
(2) Tlie adjustinent of the kayak itself and the kayak-
coverings , with a view to provide an entire shelter for the
kayaker, or seal-hunter, with the exception only of the
face, to protect him against the water. Only a small
number of Eskimo have kayaks fitted for more than a
single man;^ and still more exceptionally, in the far-
thest north some are found who have no kayaks at all,
from the sea being almost constantly frozen. (3) The
adaptation of a bladder filled with air to the harpoons or
javelins^ in order, by retarding the animals, to prevent
them escaping after being struck, and to prevent the
harpoon sinking, should the hunter miss his aim. (4)
Tlie very ingenious way in which the point of these weapons^
and of the spears with which the animals are finally
killed, are fitted into the shafts so that having penetrated
^ Such kayaks, suited for two people — one sitting behind the other
—are the ** baidars " of the Eskimo of Behring Strait.
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SUBSISTENCE AND MODE OF LIFE. 7
the skin of the animal, the point is bent out of the shaft,
which is either entirely loosened, while only the point
with the line and the bladder remains attached to the
animal, or keeps hanging ^at the point. Without this
precaution, the animal in its struggles would break the
shaft or make the barbs slip out of its body again.
(5) The sledge with the dogs trained for drawing it. In
speaking of these complex contrivances as characteristic
of the Eskimo, we do not claim any of them as their
exclusive property or invention, or as having been un-
known among other nations now or in former ages. It
would, however, be perhaps difficult to find anything at
all like their kayaks in any other part of the globe.
Their dwellings are always of two kinds — namely, tents
for the summer, and houses or huts for winter use. The
tents, generally adapted for less than ten and rarely for
more than twenty individuals, consist of from ten to
fourteen poles, with one end raised high and leaning on
the frame which forms the entrance, and the whole
covered over with a double layer of skins. The tents
seem to be constructed in the same way everywhere,
and to differ from those of neighbouring nations in hav-
ing their highest point at the entrance in front, from
which the roof inclines towards the sides, resting all
round upon a low wall of stones and turf; while the
neighbouring tribes generally construct their tents of a
conical form, with the top in the centre. The winter-
houses are far more varied in structure. Generally they
are built of stones and turf, the roof-spars and the pillars
which support the middle of the roof being of wood..
Only the Eskimo of the middle regions have vaults of
snow for their habitations ; whilst the western Eskimo
build their houses chiefly of planks, merely covered on
the outside with green turf. Some of the very far
northern Eskimo are obliged to use bones or stones
instead of wood. As to the form of the houses, the
passage leading into them is long and very narrow, aijd
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8 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
elevated towards both ends — viz., the outer and the inner
entrances ; so that on entering the house one has first
to descend, and afterwards again to ascend before reach-
ing the interior. This consists of a single apartment,
only the ledge or bench for resting and sleeping, on is
divided into separate portions for the different families.
In Greenland the ledge or bench — the "brix," as the
Danes call it — only occupies one side of the house, its
length being proportioned to the number of the families,
whose rooms or stalls are separated by low screens, each
of these rooms having its lamp standing on the floor in
front of it. The snow-huts, from their circular form,
are of course arranged differently ; and this is also the
case with the plank-houses in western Eskimo-Land,
which have a cooking-place in the centre of the floor,
with a smoke-hole in the roof, like the houses of the
neighbouring Indians. But the house-passage has
generally everywhere a small side-room with a cooking-
place. The provisions are sometimes kept in rooms
connected with the house or house-passage ; in other
places in separate storehouses, or in caves or holes of
the rocks covered with stones. In former times it
seems to have been the custom at the more populous
places to have a public building for meetings, especially
for solemn occasions. Such buildings are still in com-
mon use among the western Eskimo : they are also
spoken of in Labrador ; and in Greenland they are well
known by tradition, and were called Kagsse; while in
other districts they are termed kagge, karrigi, and
kashim. Though the dwelling-houses are nearly always
built for more than one family, the number of these is
seldom found to exceed three or four. In south Green-
land, however, houses have been met with more than
sixty feet in length, and containing stalls for ten families.
At Point Barrow, Simpson found nearly fifty houses
with two karrigiy for 309 inhabitants.
The dress for men and women is much alil^e, conjsist-
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Woman with a child in the amcnvt {pfter prcscitt fashion). Godihaab. -^Cy
X
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A girl in holiday costume {present j^§Mmh \^&^^^^ii^
SUBSISTENCE AND MODE OF LIFE. 9
ing of trousers, and a jacket with a hood to be drawn
up to cover the head (at least for men), and otherwise
fitting tightly round the body, leaving no opening ex-
cepting for the face and the hands. The same shape
is adopted for the kayak-jacket, the inside border of
which is pressed closely round the rim encircling the
opening in which the man sits, and the hands are pro-
tected by a pair of waterproof leather mittens. The
foot-gear consists of different kinds of boots, exceedingly
well made, and in preparing the skins for the majiu-
facture of which a considerable degree of care and in-
genuity is displayed.
Tlu Eskimo may more properly be classed among the
people having fixed dwellings than among the wandering
nations, because they generally winter in the same place
through even more than one generation, so that love of
their birthplace is a rather predominating feature in their
character. During the rest of the year, however, they
are constantly on the move, carrying their tents and all
their furniture with them from one place to another,
choosing their route with different objects, generally
preferring that of reindeer-hunting, but also having an
eye to seal-hunting, fishery, or trade. When travelling
in this manner for very distant places, they are some-
times arrested on their route and obliged to take up
winter quarters before reaching their proper destination.
An Eskimo from the northern shores of Hudson Bay,
who accompanied Franklin as interpreter, is said to
have reported that people in his house resided during
the winter on the borders of the lakes in the interior,
and in summer at the sea-shore. If this be true, it would
form a remarkable exception to the general rule.
The mode of life of the Eskimo being mainly that of
hunters and fishers, they must, in comparison with other
nations, be regarded — speaking broadly — as having no
regular property. They only possess the most necessary
utensils and furniture, with a stock of provisions for less
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lO SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO. \
than one year ; and these belongings never exceed cer- »
tain limits fixed upon by tradition or custom. On
account of these limits, which are of great importance as
regards their social order, and the laws which will be dis-
cussed hereafter, the properties may be thus classified : —
1. Property owned by an association of generally more
than one family — e,^., the winter-house, which, however,
is only of any real value as regards the timber em-
ployed in raising it, the rest of it being built of such ^
materials as are to be found everywhere, by the work
of women's hands.
2. Property the common possession of one, or at most
of three families of kindred — viz., a tent and everything
belonging to the household, such as lamps, tubs, dishes
of wood, soapstone pots ; a boat, or umiak, which can
carry all these articles along with the tent ; one or two
sledges with the dogs attached to them ; the latter,
however, are wanting in South Greenland. To this
must be added the stock of winter provisions, represent-
ing as much as, used exclusively, will be sufficient for
two or three months* consumption ; and lastly, a varying
but always very small store of articles for barter.
3. As regards personal property — ie., owned by every
individual — cognisance must be taken of clothes, consist-
ing of, at least for the principal members of the family, two
suits, but rarely more ; the sewing implements of the wo-
men ; the kayaks of the men, with tools and weapons be-
longing to these ; a few other tools for working in wood ;
and weapons for the land-chase. Only a very few first-
rate seal-hunters own two kayaks, but several of them
have two suits of the appertaining implements, — namely,
the lar^e harpoon (tukak, the point ; and emangnak, the
shaft of it), with its bladder and line ; the bladder-arrow or
javelin (agdligaJL), a smaller harpoon with the bladder at-
tached to its shaft ; the bird-arrow or bird-spear (nugflt) ;
the lance or spear (angavigaK), the point of which is with-
out barbs ; fishing-lines, and various smaller articles.
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A kayaker in half-jacket of skin.
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P nfNiVE'F
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SUBSISTENCE AND MODE OF LIFE. 1 1
Excepting the houses of the western Eskimo, which,
being composed of timber, are of more value, the condi-
tions of property seem to be nearly alike everywhere.
With a few exceptions, the natives carry all their mov-
able goods along with them in the boat on their summer
travels, and on arriving at some narrow strip of land
which has to be crossed, everything is brought over
along with the boat.
Notwithstanding their very limited feeling as to ac-
cumulating property, the Eskimos have kept up a kind
of trade among themselves, and it is for this purpose
that some of their most distant journeys are undertaken.
But the mere desire to travel may perhaps have urged
them quite as much as the prospect of gain. The ob-
jects for barter have been such as were produced or were
only to be found in certain localities, and which never-
theless might to a certain degree be considered almost
indispensable — such as soapstone, and the lamps and
vessels manufactured from it, whalebone, narwal and
walrus teeth, certain kinds of skin, sometimes even
finished boats and kayaks, but rarely articles of food.
The articles looked upon as most precious were, how-
ever, any objects made of metal, or other materials
more exclusively possessed by foreign nations. In the
most remote ages the Eskimo on those trading expedi-
tions appear to have overpassed their present southern
limits. This may be gathered partly from pure Eskimo
words being found in the language of more southern
tribes, partly from the sagas of the old Scandinavians,
who seem to have met travelling Eskimo even to the
south of Newfoundland. In more modern times, a
regular trading communication has been discovered, by
means of which certain articles from Asia have reached the
Eskimo of the middle territories, perhaps even sometimes
the shores of Davis Strait or Hudson Bay; and others,
on the other hand, have travelled from there to Behring
Strait, — all through internal trading carried on among
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12 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
the natives themselves. No communication of this kind
seemed to have existed between the tracts last named
and Greenland ; but the inhabitants of different parts
of Greenland, with the exception of the northernmost
tribes, have always maintained an intercommunication.
The European settlements have, of course, entirely
altered or annihilated this intercourse ; but even while
it existed, the mutual trade among the natives has
scarcely given rise to any organisation of labour, or
furthered any kind of industry which might have been
of some consequence for the development of certain
manufactures. Every community of kindred being in
possession of a boat and a tent, must be able to provide
what is necessary to secure themselves a comfortable
life, except the few articles mentioned as among the
principal articles of trade.
II.— Language.
Of all the original American languages, perhaps none
has been so minutely scrutinised, both lexicographically
arvd grammatically, as that of the Greenlanders. The
Labrador dialect also belongs to the better known
amongst them. But as regards the dialect spoken by
the western Eskimo on the shores of Behring Strait,
our only source of information is a few lists of words
given by travellers of different nations, partly modified
by translation. Such exist in Russian, English, and
German. There are also a few very scanty grammatical
remarks given by a single author. These lists are
inevitably exceedingly imperfect copies of the original
words. They have been procured by questioning
natives, which has been partly done by gestures and
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> LANGUAGE. 1 3
through interpreters of little intelligence ; and then the
structure is so widely different from that of European
languages, that a single word in most cases has no cor-
responding word in these, but requires several for its
complete expression. The sounds, too, may make a
different impression on different hearers — may be imper-
fectly expressed in Russian, English, and German writ-
ing, and this also may not be free from errors of tran-
scription. All this may cause any amount of misunder-
standing. Let us first take up the question of a variety
of dialects, where closer examination will perhaps show
the contrary. These authors alluded to mention about \J
eight different Eskimo dialects round Behring Strait. X
Some examples will explain how the supposed differ- ' ^
ences between the words here and in Greenland may
have originated. For instance, wife is called nulijak and
alianak; man, uika and nuhelpach; baby, mukisskok ;
shoulders, tuichka and tuik ; hand, tatlichka and aiged;
dying, tukko and tukoeucktuk; cold, ninhlichtu and paz-
nachtuk ; heat, matschachtuk and uknachtuk ; fire, eknek
and knk (!). Let us now take what we find in the
Greenlandish dictionary and grammar : nuliaK, wife (of a
man) ; arnaK, woman ; uviga, my husband ; nnkagpiaK,
unmarried man ; nukissos, small ; tuvlka, my shoulders ;
tuYiky shoulders ; tatdbka, my arms ; agssait, fingers or
hand ; toKo, death ; toKussoK, dead ; nigdlertos, cool ;
panertoK, dry; maaagtoK, wet; -OnartoK, hot; ingneK,
fire. The apparent differences between these two lists
seem evidently to have arisen from mere misundersj;and-
ing, without any real variation between the languages.
On comparing, in the same manner, the rest of the lists
of words from Behring Strait, two -thirds or three-
fourths of the words are found to be more or less Green-
landish. Moreover, taking into consideration the manner
in which travellers have been enabled to communicate
with one tribe of Eskimo, by interpreters taken from
another, and that the difference between the Greenland
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^
14 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
and the Labrador is smaller than, for instance, between
Swedish and Danish, one is induced to assume an affin-
ity of language among all the real Eskimo sufficient
to allow mutual intercourse everywhere. On the other
hand, it cannot be denied that the language of the
Eskimo to the west of the Mackenzie is considerably
different from that of the eastern tribes.
Taking it for granted that Greenlandish may be held
to represent the Eskimo tongue in general, we shall
endeavour to give an idea of its remarkable construction.
Its most striking general peculiarity is the length of its
words ; and this, in fact, expresses its chief dissimilarity
from all languages, except the American. What in
other tongues may demand a whole sentence, and even
additional dependent sentences, in Greenlandish may
sometimes be expressed by a single verb. Consequently,
Greenlandish grammar has both to construct words and
to fix them in the sentence. This construction is effected
by the help of additional elements or imperfect words,
having no meaning by themselves, but expressive as
additions to the main word, with which they can be
combined in varieties of number and order, every com-
bination altering or modifying the sense of the radical
or adding a certain complexity of notions to it. Com-
position is completed by flexion, and particularly by
conjugation, which not only, as in several other dialects,
can make the verb include a pronoun as subject, but
also as object, and in this way can form a sentence by
itself, whereby these additional elements may render
the sentence compound, or even include other sentences.
The following abstract of Samuel Kleinschmidt's Green-
landish grammar will give a sufficient idea of this
process : —
Writing atid pronunciation, — The language is written
with the same letters as the German, only omitting
some, and with the addition of the following : —
K, differing from k by its being formed in the remotest
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LANGUAGE. IS
part of the mouth, and sounding as something between
gh, pk, and rkr.
r, sounding like a very guttural German ch.
88, like the French j.
ng and mg, nasal sounds.
The pronunciation of the vowels is often modified
by the next consonants. The letter a is often heard as
in the English word at The accents ' a -^ , which show
whether the syllable is to be pronounced sharp, long, or
long combined with sharp, are of the greatest import-
ance as to the sense of a word. Otherwise, the letters \ '
have mostly the same power as in German and the ^
Scandinavian tongues.
Greenlandish likes simplicity in its syllables, prefer-
ring those composed of one vowel and one consonant. .
More than one consonant in a syllable is allowed, if any
harshness should arise. No word can end with other
consonants than k, k, p, and t, nor begin with others
than these, and m, n, and 8. All the combinations of
consonants possible in the structure of words are limited
to thirty.
Parts of speech, — The words are composed of the stem
and the enclitic for flexion. The stem can be changed,
even abbreviated to the root, which is the part always
remaining.
The stents are divided into (i) primitive^ as igdlo,
house ; (2) added, as 8suaB:, great or large ; lik, having
or endowed with. The latter can never be used alone,
but must be appended to the former singly, or followed
by more, as igdlor88aaK, a large house; igdlor88uali£,
one who has a large house. These added stems, which
perhaps originally were words, are numerous as well as
completely movable, and can be embodied in the word
as required by the meaning. Affixes of this kind are
of course not wanting in our better-known European
languages, but are by no means so numerous or service-
able as in Greenlandish. On the other hand, the forma-
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1 6 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
tion of compound words by simply joining other real
words, is completely unknown in Greenlandish.
With regard to their endings, both kinds of stems are
divided into (i) nominal, having of themselves the
meaning of nouns ; (2) verbal, which, with their proper
endings, are only used exceptionally in phrases, or with
the sense of interjections, but for the verbal purpose
require a particular addition, which is the part altered
through the conjugation — for instance, ajo& and pisuk
are incomplete words, giving the notions of illness and
going, but with the verbal ending they give ajori>o&»
/ he is bad; pisugpoK, he goes. By help of the same
/ ending also, nouns can be converted into verbs, but only
a few of them, and then they comprise some peculiar
additional signification, such as that of acquiring or get-
ting, as atftK, a seal ; fttdxpoK, he caught a seal.
In the way here described, the stems give rise to
noims and verbs ; and in reality these are nearly the only
elements of speech in this tongue, which otherwise has
only some particles or inflexible words, and even these
seem to have had the same source, whereas all the other
parts of speech are' more or less directly to be looked
for in the nouns and verbs, the pronouns especially in
the latter.
The grammatical forms, — Flexion is obtained by help
of some additional endings, combined with more or less
^^ jnodification of the word. It comprises the number —
viz., singular, dual, and plural ; and as to the verbs, also
persons, as igdlo, a house ; igdluk, two houses ; igdlut,
several houses ; takuvoK, he sees ; takuvugut, we see.
Next, the flexions express something relating to another
thing, either as a property or as an object ; and in these
cases they have obtained the name of suffixes, as
igdlua, his house ; igdluvut, our houses ; takuvft, he sees
it ; takuvavut, we see them. Moreover, the nouns, be-
sides their simple form, in which they are used as objects,
and which on this account is called objective, also
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LANGUAGE. 1 7
have a subjective form given to them, either in case of
their being possessors (corresponding to genitive) or
subjects in a transitive sentence, as teriangniac, the
fox ; teriangniap, the fox's ; teriangniaK takuvft, he sees
the fox ; teriangnlap takuvfty the fox sees him. In
nouns flexion also takes the place of prepositions^ by
help of cases answering to the questions where, in what
way, whereto, in what manner^ — as nuna, land ; nimainey
on the land ; nxinavtinut, to our land. Lastly, in verbs
the flexion comprises seven moods — ^viz., indicative, inter-
rogative, optative, conjunctive, subjunctive, infinitive,
and participle.
While end-flexion thus expresses the relations in a \/'
remarkable manner, on the other hand it has no form ^
for sex and tense. The context must show whether
the verb has the sense of present or past, and otherwise
time is expressed more distinctly by help of additional
stems containing the notions of begins to, has finished,
is going to, joined to the original verb.
As regards nouns particularly, they all in their ob-
jective form end in a vowel, or in jl, k, and t, the subjec-
tive taking p, the dual k, and the plural t. There are two
kinds of suflSxes expressing the relation to the sentence
itself, or to another ; and besides this, every suffix has its
peculiar form for number, subjective, objective, and the
local cases. But in order to add the above flexional
letters, the nouns themselves, in certain cases, must be
somewhat modified ; and the rules for this transforma-
tion are nearly the only complicated part of Greenlandish
grammar. Yet thie natives would seem sometimes not
to consider this transformation absolutely necessary in
correct speaking, saying igdlo, house; igdlut, houses;
but tupeK, tent ; tovKit, or also tupit, tents. Excepting
these transformations, the numerous forms may be re-
presented by help of a scheme which can be written on
a quarto page.
The verbs are divided, according to the mark of the
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1 8 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
third person indicative, into five classes, with endings as
follow : po£, ri>OK, gpoK, vok, and ao£, but each still to
be conjugated according to the same.scheme, which com-
prises all the numerous combinations of these forms —
viz., numbers, persons, suffixes, and moods — and still, on
account of its regularity, can be written on one folio
page. Negation is expressed by the additional stem
ngilajc, which is conjugated in a somewhat peculiar
manner.
In consequence of what has just been explained, per-
sonal pronouns generally are of no use. Still, some
words of pronominal signification exist, used when the
person must be expressed more distinctly; but even
those words seem to have been formed by help of
suffixes, such as uvanga, I, which perhaps originally
signified, my being here. However, of demonstrative
roots twelve are found corresponding to the notions
here (ma), north, south, there, above, &c. Without any
addition or fiexion, they only occur as interjections, but
otherwise always as nouns, answering to the questions
— where, whence, which way, and whereto. Of these roots,
pronouns for the third person are formed by adding na,
with the sense of, this here (mtoa), he there in the
north, &c.
The real numerals only run from i to S, like the
fingers on one hand, then the fingers on the other are
enumerated, and afterwards, if necessary, the toes on the
feet. For this reason 20 is called " the man finished."
The rest are expressed by some partitive word show-
ing the number counted, as atansoK, i ; mardluk, 2 ;
pingasut, 3 ; sisamat, 4 ; tatdlimat, 5 ; but arflne£ pin-
gasut, 8 (or 3 upon the other hand) ; 24 is called 4 upon
the second man, and 80, finishing 4 men.
Construction of words, — We have already mentioned
the signification of the stems. These are derived from
roots, and it must be supposed that either several stems
have a common root, or that several roots have been
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LANGUAGE. 1 9
related to each other, as, for example, k6k, urine ; and
ktik, a river. But the grammar does not explain the
origin of the stems, whose formation is considered as
accomplished and fixed ; and here we shall only try to
give an idea of their further application in constructing
words. With the exception only of the verbal ending,
necessary for the formation of real verbs, words are
always composed or formed by help of the additional
stems, also called affixes. These are divided into (i) the
transforming class, by which verbs can be converted into
nouns, or nouns into verbs ; (2) the formative class, by
which the word remains unchanged in this respect.
A selection of the most remarkable additional stems or
affixes,
I. Added Nouns or Nominal Affixes.
I. Transforming.
toK or S8OK9 being or doing so, consequently a sort of nomi-
nal participle, as ajorpoK, he is bad ; ajortok, a bad one ;
autdlarpoKy he goes away ; autdlartOK, he who is departed.
taK, ssaK or gas, representing a kind of passive participle,
as ttixdtipft, he gives it ; ttmitissaK, what is given, a present.
flk, the time or place, when or where the action has passed.
ut or t, the means or reason for the action, as agdlagpoK,
he writes ; agdlaut, a thing to write with, pen, ink, and also
the object described.
2. Formative,
a. AdjecHve-like or neutral, which alter the stem- word in no essential way.
gBsaK, destined for or future, as pdK, a bag; ptlgssaKy
a cloth or skin for making a bag.
BsuaK, large or very, as idglorssuaKy a large house;
f^ortorssuaK, very bad.
ngaajL, small or little.
taiaK or atsiaK, tolerable or somewhat. ^'' ' , * J '
Dig^zeb'bySOr.BS.T'i'Y )
20 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
b, Suhitantivt-Uktt which make the stem-word totally subordinate.
lik, provided with.
miOy inhabitant of.
usBa&y iike or similar, as aioraK, sand ; sioraussaK, some-
thing like sand, among other meanings used for raw sugar.
II. Additional Verbs or Verbal Affixes.
I. Transforming,
gft or r&y has for, uses as, regards — as emeK, son ; emerft,
he has him for a son.
jLarpo&9 has or there is, as Bavik, a knife ; saave&arpo&y
he has a knife, or there is a knife.
liorpoK, makes, builds.
liarpoKy travels or goes to.
UVOK9 is ; savik, a knife ; sayiuvoK, it is a knife.
8ivo&» gains or acquires.
2. Formative,
a. Neutral, with a meaning partly as auxiliary verbs, partly as adverbs.
savoK, will or shall ; BaTej£68avo&, he shall have or will
get a knife.
niarpoK, endeavours to.
dluarpoK, well, sufficiently ; ingerdlavoK, it moves ; in-
gerdlavdlnarpoK, it goes quick.
ngArpoK, highly ; angivoK, it is large ; anging&rpoK, is
very large.
tarpoK, repeatedly or using to.
b. Intransitive,
jiilpoK, never.
gajugpoK, is bending to, Ukes to.
narpoK, is to make one ; masagpoK, is wet ; masangnar-
poK, is to grow wet from.
c. Transitive.
tip&, causes him to ; autdlarpof, goes away ; autdlartipfr
he sends him away.
rKuvft, commands or wishes that he.
serpft, waits till he; tikipoK, he comes; tikitaerpA, is
waiting till he comes.
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LANGUAGE. 21
It is by combining a series of these added stems to
the principal stem, that such an extraordinary complex-
ity of ideas can be conveyed in a single word. Only
the more intelligent, however, are perfectly skilled in
this operation, and the number of affixes attached to
one primitive stem seldom amounts to ten. The order
in which they are linked to one another depends on the
meaning, besides certain particular rules for each of
them ; but they are always put after the primitive stem,
and the flexion always ends the word. The total number
of affixes is about two hundred. As a sample, we shall
try here to compose a word of some of the stems given
above —
igdloT-ssua-tsia-lior-fl-gssa-liar-KU-gamitik.
This word consists of a primitive stem, seven affixes,
and lastly the flexion for the third person conjunctive
with the suffix for him. It signifies — as he commanded
(or wished) him to go to the place, where the tolerably
large house shall be built.
igdlu-gsBar-si-ni-uti-ger-Ku-Yara.
This word is constructed of one primitive and six ad-
ditional stems, with the flexion for the first person indi-
cative, and the suffix for him or it, and signifies — I or-
dered him to use it as a means for buying (endeavour-
ing to get) house-materials (a future house).
Syntax. — In consequence of what has been explained
above, much of what in other dialects belongs to syntax,
in Greenland is represented by composing words and by
flexion. There is a very sharp distinction between the
verbs as transitive, intransitive, or having'both qualities
at once. The exclusively transitive verbs always re-
quire a suffix ; where this is wanting they grow reflective
— for instance, toj£tLp&, he killed him ; but toKtipoK, he
killed, always supposes himself.
Among the seven moods of the verb, the infinitive and
the participle do not exactly correspond to what are
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Z2 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
SO called in other languages. The infinitive is very
often used like the participle in a run of sentences, to
express what in other tongues is obtained by help of
while, then, as, during, &c. The participle exhibits the
peculiarity of only in some degree corresponding to a noun,
on which account it has been called a verbal participle.
It can become the object, but not the subject of a sen-
tence. On the other hand, even in this mood the verb
includes at once its own subject and its object, for which
reason the participle is used for subordinate sentences,
as takugfty he who sees him ; takugingma, thou who seest
me ; takugivKit, I who see thee; nalugavkit (of naluvf^
he does not know it), takugingma, as I did not know
thee, thee who saw me — ^viz., as I did not know that
thou sawest me ; naluvarma takugivkit, thou didst not
know that I saw thee.
Lastly, it must be remembered that in agreement
with what has already been explained, if even a sentence
has its subject and object expressed by particular nouns,
its verb nevertheless must indicate both by aid of the
suffix in its ending, as intLp igdlo takayft, the man (s) —
the house — he saw it, — ^viz., the man saw the house.
t
III.— Social Order, Customs, and Laws.
As a matter of course, what we have now to treat on is
closely connected with what has already been said regard-
ing the sustenance and mode of life peculiar to the Eski-
mo, because the life of a hunting people appears to require
or give rise to a certain natural partnership or joint pos-
session of goods confined to wider or smaller circles of
the inhabitants, and directed by certain laws or customs.
What one individual gains by his own labour being, in
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 23
consequence of this partnership, made accessible to
others, this restriction of his right of property must
necessarily be counterbalanced by certain obligations
on the part of others ; or, in other words, the right of
property being in a peculiar way restricted with all the
hunting nations, the personal rights and duties must
have their corresponding peculiarities. In dealing with
. this part of our subject, we shall first treat of the divi-
sion of the inhabitants into smaller communities ; second,
of the mutual rights and obligations of the individuals
and of those communities as regards persons as well as
property; and lastly, of the larger or smaller public meet-
ings, which at once represent the national rejoicings and
the courts of justice, by which the laws were maintained.
The smaller communities or subdivisions which were
based upon a certain partnerships we have already alluded
to as falling under the three following classes — thef
family, the inhabitants of a house, and the inhabitants!
of a wintering place or hamlet. But scarcely any fur- •
ther connection of this kind can be traced between the
different wintering places. ■
Firstly, regarding the family. Scarcely anywhere did
more than a very few of the men appear to have more
than one wife, but the right of divorce and of taking
another wife seems to have been tolerated without any
definite restriction. Divorce, however, as well as poly-
gamy and the exchange of wives, which is also men-
tioned as having existed, was only approved of by
public opinion in so far as it aimed at propagation,
especially of male descendants. The betrothal was
managed in three ways — by mediators, as being fixed
on from childhood, and by compulsion. But the wed-
ding" itself seems rarely to have taken place without
some degree of force having been practised upon the
bride — ^a custom of very universal use among barbarous
and savage races. It also seems that the engagement
had first to be settled with the bride's parents and
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24 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
brothers, and that their consent in every case was re-
quisite. A girl having many and eh'gible suitors, but
the parents and brothers being unwilling to part with
. her, is a very common theme in the traditional tales.
The wedding was performed without any special cere-
mony, and without imposing any peculiar obligations.
The bride brought along with her her clothes, an " oolo,"
^or semicircular knife, and generally a lamp. TheJiaJiLily
ina narrower sense comprised foster-children, as well as
[ wT3ows and other helpless persons, who were adopted
into it on the ground of relationship, and more or less
occupied the place of servants. We are inclined to
believe that the so-called slaves or war-prisoners of the
western Eskimo live under conditions similar to those
held by the latter. The use of slaves as an article for
barter is not so contrary to the ideas of social order in
general as one would at first incline to believe. We
only need to call attention to a tale in which a company
of brothers arfe spoken of as being unwilling to allow
their sister to marry till one of them happened to acquire
a good friend, whom he persuaded to take her solely
with the view of making him his brother-in-law. This
story is in no way offensive to the feelings of the Green-
landers. But, on the other hand, their mode of life and
of housekeeping hardly seems to allow of these slaves
being treated otherwise than as subordinate members of
the family. In a_ wider sense, the family gojnpdsed
married children, where these did not found a separate
household by acquiring a separate boat and a tent for
summer-travels. The joint ownership and use of these
belongings, and the common labour and toil in obtaining
the means of support by their aid, seems consequently
to define the real community of family or kindredi -The
right of being adopted into the family may also be
claimed by the parents-in-law. The new-married
couple used to join the parents of one party, and as
soon as the parents . of the other were no longer able to
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 2$
support themselves, they also took up their abode with
the children. Besides these, brothers or sisters without
providers, and widows of brothers, were also adopted by
the family, as circumstances might require it Where .
a mother-in-law was a member of the family, the
daughter-in-law or wife of the master of the house was
subordinate to her. The husband also had the right of
punishing his wife by striking her in the face with just
sufficient force to leave visible traces. But the children
were never, and still less the servants, subjected to any
corporeal punishment. If a man had two wives, the
last was always considered as a concubine only, but
succeeded the first in case of death. In cases of divorce
the son always followed the mother. As a result of
these arrangements every family generally had more
than one provider. Widows or unmarried women with
children rarely set up housekeeping by themselves, and
were generally provided for by their housemates or
kindred. If there was more than one son, the subse-
quent ones sometimes, on acquiring a boat and tent, left
home and established a separate family or household.
The •wner of a boat or a tent was thus coijsidered the
chief or head of the family, and it was principally he
who was called the igtuat of the others. Simpson men-
tions the chiefs on Point Barrow as Oomeliks, which no
doubt must be the Greenlandish iimiallk, signifying
owner of a boaty and thus is in strict accordance with
what has just been said. When a man died, the oldest
son inherited the boat and tent, along with the duties
incumbent on the provider. If no such grown-up son
existed, the nearest relative took his place and adopted
the children of the deceased as his foster-children. But
when these were grown up, and had themselves become
providers, their widowed mother was at liberty to estab-
lish a separate household with th^m, without any
further obligation to the foster-father. As regards in-
heritance in general, it must be remembered, that
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26 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
among the Greenlanders it represented a question of
obligations and burdens rather than of personal gain.
Moreover, the only real hereditary goods — ^viz., the boat
and tent — required annual repair and covering with new
skins, almost as many as one hunter on an average could
procure during the whole year. Lastly, it must be
noticed that, even if the family were divided by re-
moving to distant winter-quarters, the ties of relation-
ship were always respected whenever mutual assistance
was required.
The next kind of community was that of the housemates,
where more than one family agreed to inhabit the same
house. This, as a general custom, has perhaps only
existed in Greenland, where often three or four, some-
times even more, families housed together. Each of
these families, however, in the main maintained their
own household ; every family in the narrower sense —
viz., the married couple with their children — having its
own room on the main ledge with its lamp standing in
front of it, while the unmarried people and the guests
slept on the window and side ledges. As the house was
built and repaired by joint labour, it could scarcely be
said to have any particular owner ; or if there happened
to be one, he would only have all the burdens and obli-
gations without any real rights as to possession. But
among the heads of the several families one was gene-
rally found who was held in greater esteem than the
rest by all the housemates, though not in the same
degree as the members of a family respected their so-
called igtuat.
The third kind of community is what we may call place-
fellows — ^viz., inhabitants of the same hamlet or wintering
place. Only in exceptional cases might a single house
be found at such a place. When it is considered how
widely the population was spread, and how distant the
hamlets were from each other, it will be understood as a
matter of course that the inhabitants living together on
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 2/
such a sequestered spot must continually come into
contact with each other in the hamlet itself, as well as in
their common hunting-places, which made them form
a band or community separated from the rest of the
population. But still less than among the housemates
was any one belonging to such a place to be considered
as chief, or as endowed with any authority to command
his place-mates. The folk-lore in many cases shows
how men who had succeeded in acquiring such a power
were considered as usurpers of undue authority, and
vanquishing or killing them ranked as a benefit to the
community in general. However, it was a standing rule
that nobody from a distance could settle down for good at
the place without the general consent of its inhabitants.
The Principal Laws with regard to Property
AND Gain were as follows:—
Of every seal caught at a ivinter station during the
whole season of their dwelling in the winter-houses,
small pieces of flesh, with a proportionate share of the
blubber, were distributed among all the inhabitants ; or
if insufficient for so many, the housemates first got
their share. Nobody was omitted on these occasions,
and in this way not the very poorest could want food
and lamp-oil so long as the usual capture of seals did
not fail. Besides this general distribution, every man
who had taken a seal used to invite the rest to partake
of a meal with him. It must, however, be understood,
that where the population of a place exceeded a certain
number, or at times when the seals were very plentiful,
this sharing of flesh and blubber, either by distribution
or by feasting, would probably be limited, in the first
case, to perhaps some of the nearest houses or relatives.
Beyond the confines of such places as were already
inhabited, roery one was at liberty to put up his house
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28 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
and go hunting and fishing whenever he chose. Not
even where others had first established a fishing-place,
by making weirs across a river, would any objection be
made to other parties making use of these, or even
injuring them.
Any one picking up pieces of driftwood or goods lost at
sea or on land was considered rightful owner of them ;
and to make good his possession, he had only to carry
them up above high-water mark and put stones upon
them, no matter where his homestead might be.
If a seal was harpooned and got ^_^ with the harpoon
sticking in it, the first striker lost his right to it as soon
as the hunting -bladder became detached. It then
became the property of whoever found and finally
killed it. This would take place when the animal had
been hit with the large harpoon and the hunting-line
snapped, while the small harpoon or bladder-arrow has
the bladder attached to it But if the animal ran far
away with the bladder-arrow, the first hunter also lost
his claim, just as if the bladder had been wanting. The
weapons attached to the animal were restored to the
proper owner when he announced himself.
Any other kind of goods found were considered the
property of the finder.
If two hunters at the same time hit a bird or a seal, it
was divided into equal parts with the skin attached.
But if this happened with a reindeer, the animal be-
longed to the one whose arrow had reached nearest the
heart, the other only getting part of the flesh.
All kinds of game or animals which happened to be rare,
on account of their size or other unusual circumstances,
were more than ordinary species considered common
property. Of walrus and the smaller cetaceous animals,
in localities where they were rarely found, the killer only
took the head and tail, the remainder being given up to
public use. This was also the case on the first capture
of such animals as only appeared at certain seasons, or
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 29
with any animal caught during times of long want and
bad luck to the hunters. But if an animal of the largest
size, more especially a whale, was captured, it was con-
sidered common property, and as indiscriminately belong-
ing to every one who might come and assist in flensing
it, whatever place he belonged to, and whether he had
any share in capturing the animal or not. The flensing
was also managed without any order or control ; and if
any one happened to wound another on such an occa-
sion, he was not held answerable for it.
In South Greenland, where bears are rarely seen, it is
said that, on a bear being killed^ it belongs to whoever first
discovered it, setting aside altogether the person who
killed it
Wlien no seals or other larger animals were brought
home to a house, those families who were best off" for
provisions generally invited the other housemates, but
not the place-fellows, to partake of the principal daily
meal with them ; or one or two families went joint
shares in this, each contributing something.
If a man had borrowed the tools or weapons of
another, and lost or injured them, he was not bound
to give the owner any compensation for the loss or
damage. Moreover, if any one neglected to make use
of his fox-traps, and another -went and had them set
and looked after, the latter became owner of the game
captured.
If a man repented of a bargain, he had a right to
retract it Nothing was sold on credit, at least not
without being paid for very s(5on.
Looking at what has been said regarding the rights of
property and the division of the people into certain com-
munities, in connection with the division of property into
the classes just given, we are led to the conclusion that
the right of any individual to hold more than a certain
amount of property was, if not regulated by law, at least
jealously watched by the rest of the community ; and
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30 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
that, virtually, the surplus of any individual or com-
munity— fixed by Ae arbitrary rate which tradition or
custom had assigned — was made over to those who had
less. From this point of view, the first class of goods
would be what belonged to a single person — ^viz., his
clothes, weapons, and tools, or whatever was specially
used by himself. These things were even regarded as
having a kind of supernatural relation to the owner,
reminding us of that between the body and the soul.
Lending them to others was not customary ; but if a
person owned more suits than usual, public opinion
would doubtless compel him to allow others to make
use of them. The custom just mentioned, that a bor-
rowed article which was lost or damaged need not
necessarily be returned or compensated to the owner,
strikingly shows that if a man had anything to spare or
lend, it was considered superfluous to him, and not held
with the same right of possession as his more necessary
belongings, but to be ranked among those goods which
were possessed in common with others. The conse-
quence was, that superfluous garments or implements
rarely existed. Only a few first-rate hunters possessed
two kayaks, one fitted for the open sea and another for
the sheltered inlets ; but if he did happen to have three
kayaks, he would at times be obliged to lend one of
them to some relative or housemate, and sooner or later
would lose it. The next class of property was what
belonged to the whole family — the boat and tent, the
provisions collected during the summer season, and
lastly, a small store of skins and other articles intended
either for family use or for bartering purposes. The
third class consisted of what belonged to the house-
mates in common — viz., the house itself, the supply of
victuals suflScient for certain meals, &c. A fourth class
we may make comprise what was shared with the in-
habitants of the same hamlet, such as the flesh and
blubber derived from all the seals caught during the
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 3 1
Stay in winter-quarters. A fifth and last class might
be added, comprising those spoils which, either on
account of the size of the captured animal, or some-
times owing to great scarcity and famine, were shared
with the inhabitants of the neighbouring hamlets.
Some of the laws or customs above described con-
cerning property — as, for instance, those that relate to
things found — which at first sight may appear very
strange, will find their explanation on closer inspection,
and with due consideration of the peculiar localities,
the long distances, and the scanty population, on ac-
count of which any article lost could hardly be expected
to be recovered in a state still fit for use. But as to
the principal peculiarities, it naturally follows that the
members of the different communities, in profiting by
the gains of so dangerous and toilsome a trade as that
of the seal-hunter, could not be exempted from certain
mutual obligations. The principal of these obligations
were as follows : —
The duty of providing^ and the right of being adopted
into a family, hdiWQ already been described in connection
with the mutual relationship of its members. In order
to become housemates, an agreement between the families
in question was of course required. So also, if a new
family wished to settle at an inhabited place, the new-
comers had to wait the consent of the people already
settled there, which was given by means of certain signs
of civility or welcome, the strangers having meanwhile
put their boat ashore, but not yet begun bringing up
their goods. If those signs were not given, they put off
again, and went on to look for another place.
It might be considered a law that every man^ as far as
fu was able to do it, should practise the trade of a hunter
ofi the sea, until he was either disabled by old age or
had a son to succeed him. This duty neglected, he
brought upon himself the reprehensions not only of the
other members of his own family, but also of the wider
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32 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
community. So also he was in duty bound to bring up
his sons to the same business from their early child-
hood.
From their living together in small habitations, a
friefidly way of conversing was necessary ; and all high
words or quarrelling are considered as unlawful. The
Greenlandish language is therefore devoid of any real
words for scolding. The general mode of uttering annoy-
ance at an offence is by silence ; whereas the slightest
harshness in speaking, even to younger or subordinate
persons, is considered as an offence in so far that it may
give rise to violent quarrels and ruptures.
In what has now been said, as in general, we have
mainly had in view the Greenlanders under ordinary
conditions. We have, however, also noted, that the rules
of property were necessarily subjected to several modi-
fications, according to the size of the houses, the hamlets,
and other local circumstances. Where among the west-
ern Eskimo one place is said to contain 50 houses and
300 inhabitants, the housemates here must have repre-
sented the family as well, and the population have been
too numerous to allow of any general distribution of
flesh and blubber during the winter. In such cases it
would be reasonable to suppose that the inmates of
a certain number of houses were united, and made a
community by themselves, like that of a whole hamlet
in Greenland. Nobody being able to acquire and ac-
cumulate property beyond certain limits, and the state
and conditions of the different households being all
alike even there, the principles of social institutions
among the western Eskimo can hardly be supposed
to have differed much from those of the Greenlanders.
No court of justice was established as a special authority
to secure the maintenance of the laws. With exception
of the part which the angakoks, or the relatives of an
offended person, took in inflicting punishment upon the
delinquent, public opinion formed the judgment -seat,
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SOCIAL ORDER, CUSTOMS, AND LAWS. 33
the general punishment consisting in the offenders
being shamed in the eye of the people ; and the only
regular^courts were the public meetings or parties^ which
at the same 'time supplied the national sports and
entertainments, and greatly contributed to strengthen
and maintain the national life.
The first kind of meetings were those which daily
occurred when the men returned from their seal-hunt
and invited each other to partake of whatever they had
brought home. The men alone partook of those meals,
the females getting their share afterwards. During
these meals the events of the day were told and com-
mented on, several matters of common interest discussed,
and the bad behaviour, or perhaps vices, of some in-
dividuals censured and blamed.
The other kind of meetings consisted of the real festi-
vals, which were most commonly held in the middle of
the winter ; though they also took place during summer,
when, of course, the guests could be more numerous.
Besides eating and talking, the principal entertainments
on those occasions consisted in (i) different games and
matches of strength and agility ; (2) singing and drum-
playing, with dancing and declamation ; (3) satirical
songs, or nith-songs, which, properly speaking, repre-
sented the court of justice.
Playing at ball was the favourite game, and managed
in two different ways, — either by throwing the ball from
one person to the other among the same partners while
the opposite party was trying to get hold of it ; or each of
the sides had its mark, at a distance of 300 to 400 paces,
which they tried to hit with the ball, kicking it along
with the foot from either side. The athletic exercises
or matches consisted in wrestling with arras and fingers,
different exercises on lines stretched beneath the roof,
kayak-races, boxing on level ground, and several other
games.
C
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34 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
The songs and declamations were at times performed
in the open air, but generally at the feast, immediately
after the meal, and by the men alternately. The singer
stood forth on the floor with his drum — sl ring i }4 foot in
diameter with a skin stretched on it — beating it with a
stick in accompaniment to his song, adding gesticula-
tions, and dancing at intervals. The nith-songs just
mentioned were of a peculiar kind, used for settling all
kinds of quarrels, and punishing any sort of crime, or
breach of public order or custom, with the exception
of those which could only be expiated by death, in the
shape of the blood-revenge. If a person had a complaint
against another, he forthwith composed a song about it,
and invited his opponent to meet him, announcing the
time and place where he would sing against him. Gen-
erally, and always in cases of importance, both sides
had their assistants, who, having prepared themselves for
this task, could act their parts if their principals hap-
pened to be exhausted. These songs also were accom-
panied by drum-playing and dancing. The cheering or
dissent of the assembly at once represented the judg-
ment as well as the punishment.
As regards real crimes, those in violation of the rights
of property, as a matter of course, can only have been
trifling ; on the other hand, the passions of the people
tending to ambition, domineering, or the mere fancy for
making themselves feared, sometimes gave rise to vio-
lence and murder. The practice of witchcraft must also
be ranked among this class — those who believed, or even
confessed themselves able to practise it, being stimulated
by almost the same passions, and punished in the same
way if suspected. When the witches, on being threat-
ened with death, did not deny their guilt, the only
passion which can have incited them seems to have been
a kind of ambition ; and this is quite in accordance with
the angakoks being their principal adversaries, de-
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RELIGION. 35
nouncing them, and inflicting punishment upon them.
Murder, and under certain circumstances witchcraft,
were, as a rule, punished with death, which was carried
out in two different ways — either as revenge of blood, or
being duly deliberated upon by the inhabitants of one
or more stations. To fulfil the blood-revenge was the
duty of the nearest relative ; and having performed
it, he had to denounce himself to the relatives of him
whom he had killed. Capital punishment, as the
result of deliberation and decree, was inflicted upon
witches, and upon such individuals as were obviously
dangerous to the whole community, or at least suspected
of being so. Lastly, some cases of manslaughter oc-
curred which were considered neither decidedly admis-
sible nor altogether unlawful. These were as follow:
The killing of an infant that, from the loss of its mother,
would be liable to die from starvation ; the killing of
insane persons ; threatening the life of the housemates ;
and lastly, the continued blood - revenge or this re-
venge carried out on some kindred or place-fellow of
the murderer. _ ^.
IV.— Religion. "'^"••ii-^r -
The following account of the religious belief of the
Eskimo is principally founded upon the traditions — the
author having made inquiries among the natives as to
all that appeared doubtful and obscure, and lastly, com-
pleting this information with the help of the oldest
authors. The whole information thus brought together
has been divided and arranged with a view to making it
as convenient and intelligible to the reader as possible :
a more complete understanding of several portioiis of it
must be sought in the tales themselves.
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36 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
I. General Ideas concerning the Existence of the World,
THE Supreme Powers, and the Conception of Good and
Evil.
Only very scanty traces have been found of any kind
of ideas having been formed as to the origin and early
history of the world, and the ruling powers or deities,
which seems sufficiently to show that such mythological
speculations have been, in respect to other nations, also
the product of a later stage of culture. Existence in
general is accepted as a fact/ without any speculation
as to its primitive origin. Only the still acting powers
concealed in nature, and to which human life is sub-
ordinated, are taken into consideration.
Men, as well as animals, have both soul atid body.
The soul performs the breathing, with which it is closely
allied. It is quite independent of the body, and even
able to leave it temporarily and return to it It is not
to be perceived by the common senses, but only by help
of a special sense belonging to persons in a peculiar
state of mind, or endowed with peculiar qualities. When
viewed by these persons, the soul exhibits the same
shape as the body it belongs to, but is of a more subtle
and ethereal nature. The human soul continues to live
after death precisely in the same manner as before. The
souls of animals also, to a certain degree, seem to have
been considered as having an existence independent of
the body, and continuing after its death. Here and
there traces have also been found of a belief in the
migration of souls, both between dead and living men,
and between men and animals ; but it remains uncertain
whether this ought not rather to be. explained as having
an allegorical sense. Lastly, they say that the human
soul may be hurt, and even destroyed ; but on the other
hand, it may also be fitted together again and repaired.
We sometimes find it mentioned that the migration may
be partial — viz., that some parts of the soul of a de-
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RELIGION. 37
ceased person may pass into another man and cause in
him a likeness to the first
The whole visible world is ruled by supernatural
powers, or "owners,"' taken in a higher sense, each of
whom holds his sway within certain limits, and is called
inna (viz., its or his intik, which word signifies " matiy'
and also owner or inhabitant). Strictly speaking,
scarcely any object, or combination of objects, existing
either in a physical or a spiritual point of view, may not
be conceived to have its, inua, if only, in some way or
other, it can be said to form a separate idea. Generally,
however, the notion of an inua is limited to a locality,
or to the human qualities and passions — e.g., the inua
of certain mountains or lakes, of strength, of eating.
The appellation, therefore, quite corresponds to what
other nations have understood by such expressions as
spirits, or inferior deities. An owner or ruler conveys
the idea of a person or soul, but it appears not neces-
sarily that of a body. The soul of the dead seems to
have been considered as the inua of the bodily remains.
The earth, with the sea supported by it, rests upon \ /
pillars, and covers an uftder world, accessible by various
entrances from the sea, as well as from mountain clefts.
Above the earth an upper world is found, beyond which
the blue sky, being of a solid consistence, vaults itself
like an outer shell, and, as some say, revolves around
some high mountain-top in the far north. The upper
world exhibits a real land with mountains, valleys, and
lakes. After death, human souls either go to the upper
or to the under world. The latter is decidedly to be
preferred, as being warm and rich in food. There are
the dwellings of the happy dead called arsissut —
viz., those who live in abundance. On the contrary,
those who go to the upper world will suffer from cold
and famine ; and these are called the arssartut, or ball-
players, oa account of their playing at ball with a walrus-
head, which gives rise to the aurora borealis, or Northern
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38 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
V k lights. Further, the upper world must be considered a
^4,^^ continuation of the earth in the direction of height, al-
. Though those individuals, or at least those souls tern-
^ porarily delivered from the body, that are said to have
visited it, for the most part passed through the air. The
upper, world, it would seem, may be considered identical
with the mountain round the top of which the vaulted
sky is for ever circling — the proper road leading to it
from the foot of the mountain upwards being itself
either too far off or too steep. One of the tales also
mentions a man going in his kayak to the border of the
ocean, where the sky comes down to meet it
The invisible rulers by which the earth is governed
cafn scarely be imagined without regarding them in some
relation of dependency one on another. Inasmuch as
we are allowed to consider almost every spot or sup-
posed object a special dominion with its special inua
ruling within certain limits, we might also be led to
imagine several of those dominions as united, and
made subordinate to one common ruler, by which
means we would have a general government of the
world under one supreme head ready organised. The
mythology of the Greenlanders, however, does not con-
tain any direct doctrine with such a tendency. Very
scanty traces also have been found of any attempts
towards explaining the origin of the world, as well as of
things existing and their qualities, as, e,^,, regarding
some species of animals, besides the moon and several
stars. Though it has been asserted the Greenlanders
believe that the first of our race arose from the earth,
and that the first man, called Kallak, created the first
woman out of a tuft of sod, and also that some tradition
exists about the Deluge,, yet these statements cannot be
accepted without doubt and reservation, because they may
have partly originated from the questioners themselves,
who pretend to have heard them from the Greenlanders,
but have probably involuntarily acted upon the latter by
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RELIGION. 39
their prepossessed mode of questioning. Still, on look-
ing at the whole religious views of the natives, they do
seem to presuppose a single power by which the world
is ruled. Certain means were believed to exist by which
man was not only enabled to enter into communion
with the invisible rulers, but could also make them his
helpers and servants. Such supernatural assistance
might be acquired in a more or less direct way — ^viz.,
either through men endowed with the peculiar gift called
angakoonek (cor. spelling anglkkflneK, signifying angakok-
wisdom or -poweVy or the state of being angakok). But
these men only acquired this gift by applying to and
calling on a yet more exalted power, which made these
rulers become their helping or guardian spirits^ or tornat
(plural of t6maK). This supreme ruler was termed
iornarsuk; and in his being thus enabled to dispose at
will of all the minor powers, forcing them to serve the
angakut, and in the same degree making the whole
nature subordinate to mankind, some idea surely of the
godhead must be connected with him. It also seems to
have been ascertained that the Greenlanders have ima-
gined him as having his abode in company with the
happy deceased in the under world ; but to this vague
belief the whole doctrine concerning his existence seems
to have been limited. The early authors on Greenland,
indeed, have given utterance to different opinions con-
cerning tornarsuk which they have gathered from the
natives, some of them representing him as the size of a
finger, others of a bear, and so on ; but all these state-
ments seejn to rest upon error and superficial inquiry.
As far as the traditions are concerned, the name of tor-
narsuk is very rarely mentioned in any of them.
Among the supernatural powers was another consti-
tuting the source of nourishment, supplying the physical
wants of mankind. These being almost exclusively got
from the sea, we cannot wonder that this power had its
abode in the depths of the ocean ; and its being repre-
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40 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
sented as a female is probably emblematical of the con-
tinual regeneration of life in nature, as well as of economy
and household management, generally devolving on wo-
men. This being is named arnarkuagsak (cor. sp. amar-
&iiagB8ft£, also signifying old woman in general) ; but the
common opinion among the older authors, describing
y^'^her as a demon of evil, is quite erroneous. Sh^-.sit& in
( ---heiuiwellingan front of a lamp, beneath which is placed
\ a vessel receiving the oil that keeps flowing down from
] the lamp. From this vessel, or from the dark interior
j of her house, she sends out all the animals which serve
^ for food ; but in certain cases she withholds the supply,
thus causing want and famine. Her retaining them
was ascribed to a kind of filthy and noxious parasites
(agdleratit, which also signifies abortions or dead-born
children), which had fastened themselves around her
head ; and it was the task of the angakok to deliver her
from these, and to induce her again to send out the
animals for the benefit of man. In going to her he first
had to pass the arsissut, and then ^to cross an abyss, in
which, according to the earliest authors, a wheel was
constantly turning round as slippery as ice ; and then
having safely got past a boiling kettle with seals in it,
he arrived at the house, in front of which a watch was
kept by terrible animals, sometimes described as seals,
sometimes as dogs ; and lastly, within the house-pass-
age itself he had to cross an abyss by means of a bridge
as narrow as a knife's edge.
According to the religious notions just given, there
must have existed a generally established belief in the
presence of some ruling power to which mankind and
nature were alike subjected, as well as in certain modes
of obtaining assistance from this power. This supernat-
ural aid, as well as all the actions of men with a view
to call it forth, were in social estimation considered
as being good and proper. But besides this, there ex-
isted aixothfir-suEernatural influence, which was wholTj'
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RELIGION. 41
opposed to that which had its source from tornarsuk ;
and tne art of summoning it was practised and taught
from mouth to mouth by people not acknowledged or
authorised by the community. It was always invoked
in secret^ and always with the object of injuring others,
and wholly in favour of the practiser. This art was
called kiisuinek or iliseenek (cor. sp. i]jfllne&), corre-
sponding very exactly to witchcraft^ and representing
the worst form of evil, both"with regard to the help
obtaiired and the^means of procuring it. The essence
of it was selfishness in the narrowest sense, being alike
adverse to the interest of the community and to the
supreme rule of things existing in which the people
believed. When we look at these ideas, as very strongly
discerned and maintained by the Greenlanders, certain
opinions not unfrequently professed by authors as to
the religious creeds of the more primitive nations are
shown to be utterly erroneous, — viz., first as regards con-
founding the practice of witchcraft with their calling to
their aid supernatural powers, authorised and acknow-
ledged by their religious beliefs ; and secondly, the
maintaining that those nations on a lower stage of civil-
isation were wholly without any conception of moral
good and evil, and limited their regards to physical evil.
In the practice of iliseenek, or witchcraft, a powcrwas
applied to which jyas superior to mankind ; and we might
thus be led to suppose that this power represented an evil
being or ruler in opposition to tornarsuk. Some mystical
tradition is related by Egede, mentioning two men en-
gaged in dispute, one desiring man to be subjected to
death, and the other insisting upon his becoming immor-
tal. The words spoken by them may perhaps be con-
sidered as magic spells, and the one of them is represented
as having made death enter into the world. This legend
is rjither obscure, both with regard to its authenticity
and its meaning ; but the idea of death was closely con-
nected with that of witchcraft, this latter always more
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42 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
or less having death for its aim. Sickness or death
coming about in an unexpected manner was always
ascribed to witchcraft ; and it remains a question whe-
ther death on the whole was not originally accounted
for as resulting from it. The fact that witches were
punished as transgressors of human laws, and were per-
secuted by the angakut, makes it possible that they re-
present the last remains of a still more primitive faith,
which prevailed before the angakut sprang up and
made themselves acknowledged as the only mediators
between mankind and the invisible rulers of the world.
These primitive religious notions may in that case have
amounted to a belief in certain means being capable of
acting on the occult powers of nature, and through them
on the conditions of human life. Traces of the same
belief were perhaps also preserved among the people in
the shape of some slight acquaintance with the medical
art, and superstitions regarding amulets, the knowledge
of which was likewise peculiar to women. And allow-
ing this supposition, we shall find the most striking an-
alogy between the persecution of witches by the anga-
kut and the persecution of the angakut by the Christian
settlers, with this exception, that the Christian faith
exhibits a personification of the evil principle which en-
abled the missionaries to vanquish for ever the autho-
rity of tornarsuk as the supreme ruler and source of
benefits, by transforming him into the Christian devil,
who for this reason henceforth was termed tornarsuk.
In the folk-lore of the Greenlanders, as well as of other
nations, divine justice principally manifests itself in the
present life. According to the older authors, they had also
some faint ideas of punishment and reward after death.
We learn from these that witches and bacj people went
to the upper world ; whereas those who had achieved any
great and heroic actions, or suffered severely in this life,
such as men who had perished at sea, or women who
had died in child-birth, went to the world below. At
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RELIGION. 43
the same time, some tales seem to hint at a belief that
the manner in which the body of the deceased is treated
by the survivors influences the condition of his soul.
When closely examined, this belief is akin to the idea
of punishment and reward corresponding to the actions
performed in this life.
2 On the Supernatural Agencies by wmcH Human Life is
INFLUENCED.
By supernatural we understand such agencies as do
not work according to the usual laws of nature, and
accomplish their deeds in a manner imperceptible to
the common organs of sense, except in a few rare
instances, but only manifest themselves to certain in-
dividuals peculiarly gifted, or in some cases to animals,
also endowed with a peculiar sense. This sense is gene-
rally called nalussaerunek, and the individual possessing
it nalussaerutoky signifying, " not being unconscious of
anything," consequently nearly the same as clairvoy-
ant. Such agencies may be divided into those which
are performed by the inue (plufal of inuct) of nature in
general, and those belonging to witchcraft.
(i.) The Supernatural Rulers ^ or Inue.
These have already been mentioned. As far as they
may be perceived by the common senses, they generally
have the appearance of a fire or a bright light ; and
to see them is in every case very dangerous, partly by
causing tatamingnek — viz., frightening to death — partly
as foreshadowing the death of a relative (nA8&me&).
Moreover, some of these powers are able, even at a
distance, to sever the soul from the body (tamdratOE:» he
who is bereft of his soul ; and perhaps also signifying,
the soul in this way temporarily separated from the
body). Heavy grief often produced a state of mind
called suilftrjdneJCi in which the sufi*erer deliberately
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44 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
went out in search of horrors and dangers, in order to
deafen grief by means of excitetnent
Although all the supernatural rulers may be con-
sidered as the inue each of their special domains, they
also lead an independent existence as individual beings
wholly apart from these. In the first place, it is possible
even for man, and in certain cases animals, to practise a
supernatural power from some motive or other; and
secondly, some of the supernatural beings must no
doubt be considered as having originated from real
beings, only transfigured through the traditional tales.
As to meUy they are invariably free after death to
reappear as ghosts; but certain persons are in this
respect more dangerous than others : and besides, some
persons or people in a peculiar state of existence
are even in life endowed with superhuman properties.
Individuals belonging to this class in general are
commonly called imftiinaic Ingitsut, which signifies, wJio
are not only such^ — meaning, as others; or, not of com-
mon kind. The dead man is considered as the inua of
his grave, and of the personal properties he left. It
is no doubt for this reason that things belonging to
absent persons can by certain signs announce the death
of their owners or their being in distress. The soul
even appears to remain in the grave during the first
days. The most harmless way in which a ghost can
manifest himself is by whistling, the next by a singing
in the ears (aviuiartomeE:), by which performance he
simply asks for food ; and generally when singing in
the ear is perceived, it is the custom to say : " Take as
thou Hkest " — viz., of my stores. But more dangerous
are the ghosts that appear in a true bodily shape, espe-
cially those of delirious people and of angakut. The
deceased must also be considered fully able to recom-
pense the benefits bestowed upon them during their
lifetime, being a, kind of guardian spirits to their chil-
dren and grandchildren, especially to those who are
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RELIGION. 45
named after them. But a slain man is said to have
power to avenge himself upon the murderer by rushing
into hiniy which can only be prevented by eating a piece
of his liver. Danger is more or less connected with
everything appertaining to, or having been in any con-
tact with, dead bodies, or used at funerals, the invisible
rulers in some cases being apt to take offence, or have
smoke or fog of it — ^viz., causing bad weather and bad
hunting on this account.
Persons in an extraordinary state were as follow : —
A kivigtok (correct spelling, jdvigtoEi), or a man who
fled mankind and led a solitary life alone with nature,
generally in the interior of the country, obtained an
enormous agility, and became nalussaerutok, learned to
understand the speech of animals, and acquired informa-
tion about the state of the world-pillars. The reasons
which led men to become kivigtok, were being unjustly
treated, or being merely scolded by kindred or house-
mates, who in this case were always in danger of ven-
geance from the hand of the fugitive.
An anghiak (correct spelling, &ngiaK) was an abor-
tion, or a child bom under concealment, which became ^
transformed into an evil spirit, purposely to revenge
himself upon his relatives. Akin to the anghiak were
those who, either when new-born or at a maturer age,
were converted into monsters, devouring their former
housemates.
An angherdlartugsiak (correct spelling, angerdlartug-
siaK) was a man brought up in a peculiar manner, with
a view to acquiring a certain faculty, by means of which
he might be called to life again and returned to land
in case he should ever be drowned while kayaking (also
called anginiartoK). For this purpose the mother had
to keep a strict fast, and the child to be accustomed to
the smell of urine, and be taught never to hurt a dog.
Lastly, when placing him in the kayak for exercise, the
father mumbled a prayer, beseeching his deceased
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46 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
parents or grandparents to take the child under their
protection. On coming back to shore certain things
might scare him, whereas the dogs protected and took
care of hinv
As to ammalSy if in the tales they are represented as
speaking, or in the shape of men, this is not always to
be understood as analogous to fable. Partly it is in the
power of beasts to show themselves in a supernatural
shape, partly they may appear as ghosts, or in some
state akin to that. Probably they must also be con-
sidered as the inue of their own kind, having the power
of avenging their destruction. The so-called umiarissat
(plural of umiariaK) is a supernatural "umiak," or
women's boat and its crew, who are, in some cases at
least, represented to be seals transformed into rowers.
Among the purely supernatural or fabulous beings^ the
following must be particularly mentioned : —
The ingnersuit (plural of ingnerssuaK, properly, great
fire) have their abodes beneath the surface of the earth,
in the cliffs along the sea-shore, where the ordinarily
invisible entrances to them are found. They have also
been noticed entering through mounds of turf. Pro-
bably these abodes have some connection with the real
under world itself. They are divided into two classes,
the upper and the lower ingnersuit. The former, called
mersugkat or kutdlity are benevolent spirits, protecting
the kayakers. They have the shape of men, but a
white skin, small noses, and reddish eyes. Their mode
of life is like that of the Greenlanders themselves, only
their houses and furniture are finer and richer. They
often accompany the kayaker, assisting and taking care
of him, but invisible to himself, and only to be seen by
others at some distance. The lower ingnersuit, called
atdlit, have no noses at all ; they persecute the kayakers,
especially the most skilled whom they know, dragging
them down to their home in the deep, where they keep
them in painful captivity.
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RELIGION. 47
The kayarissat (plural of &ajariaK) are kayakmen of
an extraordinary size, who always seem to be met with
at a distance from land beyond the usual hunting-
grounds. They were skilled in different arts of sorcery,
particularly in the way of raising storms and bringing
bad weather. Like the umiarissat, they use one-bladed
paddles, like those of the Indians. Pieces of bark from
American canoes, which are sometimes brought ashore
on the coast of Greenland, are named after both kinds.
The kungusutarissat (plural of EongnisutariaK), or
mermen, are considered as the proper inue of the sea.
They are very fond of fox-flesh and fox-tails, which
therefore are sacrificed to them in order to secure a
good hunting. They are also declared enemies to
petulant and disobedient children.
The inugpait are giants inhabiting a country beyond
the sea, where all things have a size proportionate to
them, and where also one-eyed people are found.
The tomit (plural of tunes) are the most eminent ^
among the inue of the interior. Their dwellings are
partly situated in the tracts visited by men, but the
entrance to them is hidden by vegetation and soil.
They are twice the size of men, or even more,
but lead the same kind of life. They also go hunting
at sea, but only in foggy weather and without kayaks,
sitting on the surface of the water. They are wise men,
and know the thoughts of men before they are spoken.
The igaligdlit (plural of igalilik) are inlanders, who
wander about with a pot on their shoulders, cooking
their meat in it at thq same time.
The isserkat (plural of iBseraK) are inlanders also,
called takimut tusorersartat, those who twinkle or blink
with their eyes longwise or in the direction of length.
The erkigdlit (plural of erKiles) have the shape of
man in the upper part of their body, but of dogs as to
their lower limbs.
The inuarutligkat (plural of inuaratdligaK) are a kind
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48 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
of dwarf, possessing a shooting-weapon, with which
they are able to kill a creature by merely aiming or
pointing at it.
Among the inlanders are also to be included the tar-
rayarsuity or shadows, and the ftarrayout^ or big-bellies.
Several monsters reside at the bottom of lakes and
inside certain rocks, and are named the inue of these
places. Among these are to be ranked the amarsiniook
and the kiiinasarinooky referred to in the tales.
The amaroky which in other Eskimo countries signi-
fies a wolf, in Greenland represents a fabulous animal of
enormous size, also repeatedly referred to in the tales.
The kiliopakt also called kukoriaK, ]nikiopftg&£, atallK,
is an animal with six or even ten feet
The kugdlughiak (correct spelling, sugdlngiaK) is a
worm, sometimes of enormous size, with a number of
feet, and extraordinary speed.
Other similar monsters mentioned in the tales are :
The kukigsookt agshik, avarkiarsuk ; the monster-foxes^
haresy and birds^ and the ice-covered bears,
y The upper world is also inhabited by several rulers
besides the souls of the deceased. Among these are
the owners or inhabitants of celestial bodies, who, hav-
ing once been men, were removed in their lifetime from
the earth, but are still attached to it in different ways,
and pay occasional visits to it. They have also been
represented as the celestial bodies themselves, and not
their inue only, the tales mentioning them in both ways.
The owner of the moon originally was a man, called
Aningaut, and the inua of the sun was his sister, a
woman beautiful in front, but like a skeleton at her
back. The moon is principally referred to in the tales.
The erdlaveersissok — ^viz., the entrail-seizer — is a wo-
man residing on the way to the moon, who takes out
the entrails of every person whom she can tempt to
laughter.
The siagtut^ or the three stars in Orion's belt, were
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RELIGION. 49
men who were lost in going out to hunt on the ice
These are mentioned in the tales in the same way as
the igdlokoks, who have the shape of a man cleft in two
lengthwise.
Among the rulers who are named only according to
special domains, and whose number appears almost
unlimited, are the inua of the air, the inua of appetite
or eating, and the inerterrissok or the prohibitor — viz.,
he who lays down the rules for abstinence.
(2.) Witchcraft ( ^
The practice of witchcraft has already been explained
in the preceding pages as representing the principal
source from which all the evils to which mankind is sub-
ject have their origin — ^viz., death, and what will more or
less immediately lead to death, as sickness and famine.
Generally, it is called kusuinek^ and its performance may
be limited to a single act ; but those who have practised
it to a certain degree are called iliseetsut (plural of
ili8lt80£), witches or wizards. It appears to have been
also practised by supernatural beings as well as by
mankind. Witches, however, in part acquired the
powers of these — their souls being able to leave the
body, and to approach those whom they intended to
injure without being visible to any but the nalussaerutut
or clairvoyants, to whom the witches themselves ap-
peared as breathing fire, and with their hands and the
lower parts of their arm blackened.
In practising witchcraft some magic words were
spoken, but it remains uncertain if words were thought
necessary in every case, or if words alone sufficed ; and
lastly, whether witches were able to work their wicked
ends by merely touching. Generally, different materials
were considered necessary for the performance of sor-
cery, such as (i) parts of human bodies, or objects that
had been in some way connected with dead bodies, as
if some remnant of that power which had caused death
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50 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
still attached to them. (2) Worms and insects, perhaps
on account of their apparent annual coming out of the
soil, the common grave of all that lives and breathes, or
possibly on account of their mysterious nature and des-
tination ; spiders were used for creating sickness ; and
insects swallowed in drinking water could be made to
eat the entrails, kill the man, and reappear from out his
body enlarged in size. (3) Parts of the animals caught
by the person to whom mischief was intended. In most
cases this was done by cutting a small round piece out
of the skin. This, when put down into graves, caused
the total failure of the owner's hunt from that time.
From this kind of witchcraft the name of kusuinek is
derived, signifying, taking away from, or diminishing
something. In all cases witchcraft was an art handed
down by tradition, but taught as well as practised in
perfect secrecy.
' 3. Of the Manner in which Man by Supernatural Assist-
ance CAN AVERT EviL AND OBTAIN BENEFIT.
Certain agents or means are given to mankind by
which they are enabled to avert impending misfortune
and obtain prosperity, in a manner deviating from the
ordinary laws of nature. These means are gained by
aid of a knowledge the highest stage of which is called
angakoonek. But an angakok being not only able him-
self directly to procure specially desired advantages, but
also acting as the leading authority in all matters of re-
ligion, the angakoonek will be separately treated of
hereafter. The fair and righteous means to which man-
kind in general may have recourse are tlius to be con-
sidered as having their source in tornarsuk, with the
angakut as mediators. Their general aim may be said
to be the counteracting and defeating of witchcraft, at
the same time serving to appease and influence the ipue
of nature, partly for the purpose of averting the danger
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RELIGION.
.51
arising from these powers, especially that of being
frightened to death, partly in order to obtain what may
be desired. Moreover, they may be divided into two
classes : first, the. general religious means to be used by
people in general for certain purposes or in certain cases ;
secondly, some peculiar faculties, which are possessed
only by certain individuals.
(i.) The General Religious Meatis,
The general religious means may again be divided
into three separate classes, the first consisting of words
to be spoken-^nz., prayer and invocation ; the second,
>^ in the possession and application of certgjn material
C^ objects called amulets ; and the third, of certain actions,/:::pN
such as the following out certain rules as to the mode ov-^
life, sacrifices, and different other observances for ap-
peasing the ruling powers and defeating witchcraft.
In the prayer or serranek, as far as we know, only the
desired object is pronounced, without any direct men-
tion being made of the fulfiller ; whereas the invocation
(KemaineKi) is merely an appeal for aid to some special
owner of power (semarpft, he invokes him). It is not
known whether in any of these cases words of the pro-
nouncer's own choice could be employed. The general
custom, at all events, was to use distinct spells with pecu-
liar tunes belonging to them. Such a prayer was called
serrat (in the tales translated by spell, magic lay, or song),
and might have reference to health, hunting, assistance
against enemies or dangers — in short, whatever purpose
might be desired within the limits of what was deemed
right and proper. A serrat was supposed to have a
power by itself, independent of the person who happened
to know or make use of it. It was therefore considered
an object of possession and barter ; but it had also a
deeper significance, in so far as a man in using it ap-
plied to a certain power, or had his thoughts fixed upon
the fulfiller or the original giver of the spell, these per-
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52 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
sons being generally identical — ^viz., the nearest deceased
kindred of the user. The serrats were in some cases ex-
pressly directed to the invoker's ancestors, and are also
known to have been the hereditary property of the same
family. In the same way, invocations were generally
addressed to the souls of the grandparents, and were
principally employed as a preventive against being
frightened to death. A serrat had to be originally ac-
quired by a revelation to some individual who possessed
a certain degree of angakok-wisdom, and in most cases
they probably dated from very remote ages. The ser-
ranek was chiefly practised by old men, who, while
performing it, partly uncovered the head.
The amulets, or amuat (plural of amuas:), were small
articles which either permanently belonged to the indi-
vidual, and in this case were always carried about his
person or worn on the body or inserted in his weapons,
or were sometimes only acquired for certain special
occurrences. The efficacy of an amulet depends firstly
on the nature of the original thing or matter from
whence it has been derived. To serve this purpose, cer-
tain animals or things which had belonged to or been
in contact with certain persons or supernatural beings
were chiefly chosen ; and sometimes, but more rarely,
also objects which merely by their appearance recalled
the effect expected from the amulet, such as figures of
various objects. Undoubtedly the original inua of the
objects was believed to be still acting by means of them. '
Those in most esteem were objects pretended to have
belonged to the ingnersuit and the inuarutligkat. Very
precious amulets were got from the avingaky which in
Labrador signifies a kind of weasel, but in Greenland
a fabulous animal, and the application of which in a
tale from both countries exhibits a most striking simi-
larity. It is also said to serve the western Eskimo for
amulets. Probably the choice and appreciation of
things most useful and appropriate for amulets was
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RELIGION. 53
akin to their faith in different medicines, both kinds of
knowledge being principally professed by old women,
and was perhaps, like witchcraft, a remnant of the
older religion which was tolerated by the angakut.
Although the articles thus used had a power of their
own because of their origin, they still required the ap-
plication of a serrat, which was pronounced by him who
gave the amulet to its final proprietor. If it was only
to be used in particular cases, a special serrat was also
required in order to make it work ; and in some cases,
when the owner happened not to have the amulet at
hand, he might have recourse to invocation. Among
the amulets probably we should also include what was
called p6jt, or bag, signifying the skin of some animal,
enabling a man to acquire its shape. Amulets were ordi-
narily acquired from the parents during early childhood.
It remains somewhat doubtful how to class the art of ,
making artificial animals^ which were sent out for the
purpose of destroying enemies. In the tales we meet
with bears and reindeers of this description ; but most
common is the belief in the tupilak, composed of various
parts of different animals, and enabled to act in the
shape of any of those animals which was wished.
The tupilak differed from the amulet in being the work
of its own user, and being secretly fashioned by himself.
It therefore might seem to belong to witchcraft ; but
according to the opinion of the present Greenlanders, it
is considered as having been a just and proper remedy,
made by help of a serrat. ^ It must always be remem-
bered that its secret origin and traditional teaching, and
not the immediate intention of it in every single case,
constituted the evil of witchcraft. The serrat and
amuak might be used with a good intention, though at
the same time pernicious to their immediate objects —
viz., the enemies. On the other hand, they could cer-
tainly also be used with evil designs : and moreover, even
angakoks were known to have practised witchcraft ;
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54 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
but all such cases were condemned by public opinion as
evil abnormities aad abuses.
The rules concerning their mode of life were principally
concerned with fasting and abstinence^ but also included
certain regulations as to clothing, out-of-door life, and
daily occupations in general. They partly referred to
the ordinary routine of daily life, particularly that of
the wife, the child, and the mourners after death ; partly
to special or accidental occurrences, such as sickness.
The powers worshipped through these observances
appear to have been, besides the inerterrissok^ the inue of
the air, the moon, and other domains, supposed to influ-
ence the weather and the chase, and also the souls of
the deceased. The lying-in woman was not allowed to
work, nor to eat any flesh excepting from the produce of
her husband's chase, and of which the entrails had not
been wounded ; but fish was allowed. Two weeks*sub-
sequent to her delivery she might eat flesh, but the
bones of it were not to be carried outside the house. In
the first child-birth they were not allowed to partake of
the head or the liver. They were permitted neither to
eat nor drink in the open air. They had their separate '
water-tubs ; and if any one else should happen to drink
out of these, what remained was thrown outside. The
husbands likewise were not permitted to work or do
any barter for some weeks. They also used to pull off"
one boot and put it beneath the dish they were eating, in
order to make the son grow up a good hunter. During
the first few days of the child's life no fire must be lighted
at their stall, and nothing be cooked over their lamp.
Bartering was likewise not customary where there was
a person sick. Immediately after birth, a name was
given to the child ; and it was always a matter of great
importance to have it called by the name of some
deceased relation, one of the grandparents being
generally preferred. But, on the other hand, names
belonging to persons recently dead must not be pro-
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RELIGION. 55
nounced, for which reason a second name was generally
given for daily use, and even this, for the same reason,
was apt to be afterwards changed. The navel-string
of the child must not be cut with a knife, but with a j
mussel-shell, if not bitten off, and was often used as an
amulet A urine -tub was held above the head of a
woman in labour, in order to ward off all manner of evil
influences. When the child was a year old, the mother
licked it all over its body, in order to make it healthy.
If any one happened to die in a house, everything be-
longing to the deceased was brought outside to avoid
infecting the living. All the housemates likewise had
to bring out their belongings, and take them in at night
after they had been well aired. The persons who had
assisted in carrying the "corpse to the grave, for a time
were considered to be infected, and had to abstain from
taking part in certain occupations. All the kindred
and housemates of the deceased for some time had also
to abstain from certain kinds of food and occupation.
During the time of mourning, the women had to abstain
from washing themselves, and were not allowed in any
way to make themselves smart or even dress their hair ;
and when going out they wore a peculiar dress. The
bodies of those who died in a house were carried out
through the window, or if in a tent, underneath the
back part According to an account from Labrador, a
small child must not eat the entrails nor blubber kept
in stomach-bladders, nor the flesh on the inner side of
the ribs, nor the upper part of the shoulder-blade. At
the birth of a child, some of the heart, lung, liver, intes-
tine, and stomach was provided ; and the child having
been licked all over, the mother ate a dish of the mixture
as a means of procuring health and long life to the baby.
To the customs just enumerated may be added
various regulations regarding the chase, especially that
of the whale — this animal being easily scared away by
various kinds of impurity or disorder. As to all kinds
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56 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
of hunting, the belief was general that liberality in dis-
posing of what had been taken secured future success.
If a person who used to have ill-luck visited a successful
hunter when an angakok was present, the latter used to
cut a piece out of the liver of a seal caught by the lucky
hunter and give it to the unlucky one, who chewed and
swallowed it slowly.
Sacrifices (miiigulerterrine& or aitsuiiie&) were not
much used. Besides the fox-flesh to the kungusotarissat,
gifts were offered to the inue of certain rocks, capes, and
ice-firths, principally when travelling and passing those
places. Certain marks of homage were, moreover, ob-
served towards the inue of various localities, such as
abstaining from laughing, from pointing at them, &c.
The expelling, capturing, and destroying of evil and
dangerous spirits was ordinarily incumbent upon the
angakut. The traditions, however, mention similar oper-
ations as practised also by other people ; and even in
our own day, there are cases of this among the Chris-
tian inhabitants, such as shooting at tupilaks and umi-
arissat. Several fetid and stinking matters, such as
old urine, are excellent means for keeping away all
kinds of evil-intentioned spirits and ghosts.
^.^ (2.) Men gifted with Special Endowments.
The persons now to be spoken of belong to the class
we have already referred to as ImMnag iugitsut, or not
of common kind — not like other people. They may be
regarded as much the same as canny folk of the Scottish
peasant, wise men or clairvoyants.
Tarneeruneky the act of taking the soul out of the
body, may be achieved either by external means, or by
dreams or several states of the soul. When delivered
in this way, especially by the power of the moon or by
dreams, the soul is enabled to roam all over the universe,
and return with news from thence. -
Pivdlingayak means a fool or "natural;" zxidpivdler-
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RELIGION. 57
ortoky a mad or delirious person. By degrees as madness
increases, disturbing the operation of the senses, and
clouding the judgment and insight into things present,
the absent or concealed things, and the events of the
future, unfold themselves to the inner sight of the soul.
A pivdlerortok was even gifted with a faculty of walking
upon the water, besides the highest perfection in divin-
ing, but was at the same time greatly feared ; whereas
the pivdlingayak, being also clairvoyant, was esteemed
a useful companion to the inhabitants of a hamlet.
Piarkusiak was a child born after several others had
died off at a tender age. It was considered specially proof
against all kinds of death-bringing influences, especially
witchcraft, and therefore employed in persecuting
witches. A child like this was even more than ordinarily
petted, and had all its wishes complied with.
Agdlerutig{h)issak — viz., having been the cause of
agdLemejt, or of certain rules of abstinence observed by
the mother — was a child fostered in a manner similar to
the angherdlartugsiak, and also considered to have a
peculiar faculty for resisting witchcraft.
KiligHsiak was a man brought up by an angakok
with the purpose of training him for a clairvoyant, which
on the part of the angakok was performed by taking
him on his knee during his conjurations.
Kilautnassok and nerfalassok were people who, having
failed in becoming angakok, had nevertheless acquired
a faculty for detecting hidden things and causes. In
cases of sickness, the head of the invalid was made fast
by a thong to the end of a stick, and on lifting it up
(KilaunoK), the nature of the sickness was discovered.
4. Angakoonek or Priesthood.
With regard to the name angdJsojt (plural, angteut),
it cannot be traced back in the usual way to any positive
root, but it appears to be closely akin to angivoE:, he is
great ; aagajojc, the older one ; angajorKat, the parents.
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58 OV SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
f; A^ln a vocabulary of the language spoken by the inland
Eskimo on the borders of the river Kuskokwim, or the
tribe farthest from the Greenlanders, the "Shamans''
are called iungalik and aftalchtuk, which words afford a
striking instance of similarity, showing the unity of
all the Eskimo tribes, the latter sounding somewhat
akin to angakok, the first corresponding to the Greesi-
landish word t6nialiK — viz., one who owns tomaks^ a
quality that constitutes the real definition of an angakok.
Another tribe nearer to Behring Strait, denominated
by the rather curious name of Tschnagmiut (probably a
corruption of a word like the Greenlandish sinamiut,
coast people), is also said to use the word tungalik for a
" Shaman^' and a third tribe in the same district to use
tfie word angaigok for a " chief y
Women as well as men might become angakut ; and
this profession appears to have two, or even more, dif-
ferent stages. But the highest of these, described by
the older authors as that of an angakok poolik, is not
confirmed as being known by the present Greenlanders.
The " studies " necessary before becoming an angakok
were in most cases begun in infancy, an angakok edu-
cating the child as kiligtisiak. Afterwards, self-applica-
tion was required, consisting in strict fasting and invok-
ing tomarsuk while staying alone in solitary places. In
this way the soul became partly independent of the
body and of the external world; finally, tomarsuk
appeared and provided the novice with a tomak — ^viz., a
helping or guardian spirit, whom he might call to his
aid by taking certain measures any time he chose.
While this revelation was being made, the apprentice
or pupil-angakok fell into a state of unconsciousness,
and on regaining his senses, he was supposed to have
returned to mankind. Some of the old people speak of
angakussarfiks, or caves, containing a stone with an even
surface and a smaller one, the angakok apprentice
having to grind the first with the second until tomarsuk
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RELIGION. 59
announced himself in a voice arising from the depths
of the earth. Others maintain that only the inferior
angakut perfected themselves in these caves, while the
higher grade was obtained by allowing vermin to suck
the blood of the apprentice in a dried-up lake, until the
unconsciousness just referred to came on.
On returning to men subsequent to this meeting with
tomarsuk, before he became an acknowledged angakok,
he had still to show his power by calling forth his
tornak. During this interval, his state would sometimes
be revealed by the fact of his feet sinking in the rocky
ground just as in snow ; and according to others, he was
liable to die if he did not manifest himself within a cer-
tain time. The clairvoyants could detect the angakut
from their breathing fire like the witches ; they had not,
however, black arms like these. If an incipient angakok
failed ten times in succession to call forth his tornak, y<^' '
he had to give up his claims to become an angakok, ^J^
but still remained a canny or peculiarly gifted individual. j
An angakok had more than one tornak, and most of I
the inue of land and sea could be made such, and also I
the souls of kivigtut, of the dead, and of animals. As /
to the services rendered by these, some of them were /
only advising and informing spirits, others assistant /
ones in danger, and others, again, revenging and destruc- /
tive powers. The first kind, called eKnngassoK, were I
indispensable on account of their skill, but were without I
strength, though they boasted of their bravery, and were I
therefore ridiculed. According to the early authors, an
angakok was raised to a higher grade, becoming pooltk,
by being able to invoke or conjure a bear and a walrus.
The bear at once seizing him, throws him into the sea ;
and the walrus, devouring them both, afterwards throws
up his bones again on the beach, from which he comes to
life again. The word poolik has already been mentioned. ^
The angakut were acknowledged or authorised teachers
and judges on all questions concerning religious belief;
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6o SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
and this belief in many ways acting upon the customs
and social life of the people, the angakut necessarily
became a kind of civil magistrate : and lastly, they had
not only to teach their fellow-men how to obtain super-
natural help, but also to give such assistance directly
themselves.
With regard to the mode of practising their art, it has
to be remarked that they partly made use of the same
medical appliances or remedies which are accessible to
mankind in general, partly that they had recourse to a
means peculiar to the angakut — viz., summoning their tor-
naks. The first kind of acts may more or less be ranked
among those explained in the preceding section, only
distinguished by being still more marvellous than those
performed by ordinary people. Of course the art often
degenerated into mere imposture, with a view to impress
the credulous with awe. To the acts of this kind be-
longed the angmainek^ or taking out the entrails of a
sick person, and returning them to their place after
having them cleaned, the repairing of a soul, or from a
tub of water divining information as to persons lost or.
missing articles. The other kind of deeds were per-
formed by means of what is termed tdroineK, or conjur-
ing, the angakok either merely summoning a tornak
and asking counsel of him, or himself starting for an
UimameK, or spirit-flighty for the purpose of examining
or accomplishing what was required, or finally calling
forth evil spirits, such as witches and anghiaks, in order
to defeat and destroy them. The art of torninek ordin-
arily had to be performed before a company of auditors
in a house, this being made completely dark, while the
angakok was tied with the hands behind his back, and
his head between the legs, and thus placed on the floor
beside a drum and a suspended skin, the rattling of
which was to accompany the playing of the drum. The
auditors then began a song, which being finished, the
angakok proceeded to invoke the tornak, accompanying
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RELIGION. 6 1
his voice by the skin and the drum. The arrival of the
tornak was known by a peculiar sound and the appear-
ance of a light or fire. If only information or counsel were
required, the question was heard, as well as the answer-
ing voice from without, the latter generally being some-
what ambiguous, in some cases also said to proceed from
tornarsuk himself. If, on the other hand, the angakok
had to make a flight, he started through an opening
which appeared of itself in the roof. Whether his flight
was supposed to be a bodily one, or by his spirit alone,
for the time severed from its mortal frame, is a question
which, like many others connected with religious matters,
has to be answered differently, according to the intelli-
gence of the individuals applied to for information. Not
until the tominek had been finished was the house allowed
to be lighted as before, on which the angakok showed
himself released from his bands. During the following
days no work was allowed to go on in the house. Evil
spirits could exceptionally be summoned at daylight and
in the open air, in the same way as the angakok at any
time could invoke his tornaks, in case he himself required
their assistance.
Witchcraft, as well as certain other influences, such as
the presence of a woman having an anghiak, could
make the conjuration fail, and even become fatal to the
conjuror as well as to his audience.
As regards their objects, the different branches of the
craft consisted of the following : —
That of giving counsel in all cases connected with
supernatural help.
That of discovering the cause of accidental disasters,
including a certain judicial authority — ^viz., that of de-
nouncing certain individuals as guilty either as regards
witchcraft or any other violation of customs or rules.
Especially was their art exercised in discovering the
whereabouts and the fate of persons who had disappeared,
and in tracing out and defeating enemies in general, as
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62 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
well as those who, like the anghiaks, could only be per-
ceived and caught by the angakut
Their other functions consisted in giving counsel and
instructions as to the rules of abstinence and the mode of
life, travels, hunting, and means of sustenance in general,
as far as necessary on account of supernatural influence ;
In procuring favourable weather (ailagigsaines) ;
In procuring success in hunting (anguflHorsaineg or
pilersaines), either by conciliating the amarkuagsa or
by invoking a tornak in the shape of an iceberg called
kivingak.
An angakok called to a sick person of any renown, if
he saw his state was hopeless, used to console him in
a solemn manner, if possible in company with others,
praising the happiness of the li;fe to come in low-keyed
song accompanied by drum-playing.
"^ The angakut used a peculiar official language, chiefly
made up of allegorical expressions and transformations
of ordinary Greenlandish words.
The death of an angakok was believed to be generally
attended by various strange phenomena. His soul, it ap-
peared, had more than ordinary difficulty in disengaging
itself from the body ; and he' might thus happen to lie in
a half-dead state, reviving at intervals. Death having
finally taken place, after five days had elapsed, he was
apt to reappear in the shape of a ghost.
5. Their Religious Belief as influencing Life, Habits,
AND Customs.
The nation being so widely spread, its traditions,
and especially the religious element in them, formed
the only connecting-link between the scatt^ed tribes ;
just as the supporters of that belief, the angakut,
in their persons afforded the means of connection be-
tween smaller communities. From this cause religion,
more than could reasonably be the case with nations in
higher stages of culture, became the standard by which
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RELIGION. 63
social and private life was alike regulated ; and this cir-
cumstance also very likely accounts for the marked dis-
inclination of the people to any change in their habits.
It must be observed that, the angakut being the only
authority who were acknowledged to derive their
powfer from the supernatural world, naturally make
the religious belief a governing principle in their ac-
tions. Their influence, of' course, at the same time,
rested upon their greater intelligence and talent The
unshaken faith with which the population regarded
their marvellous deeds cannot be explained except by
supposing them to have had a more profound knowledge
of the laws of nature, enabling them to form a more
accurate conception than others of what was likely to
happen as regards weather, hunting, sickness, and every-
thing depending upon physical laws ; while as to their
own belief, their skill in divination most probably was
confounded in their own fancy with imagined revelations
from superior beings. No doubt they themselves relied
upon the reality of their supernatural performances, not-
withstanding the necessity which, on the other hand,
often caused them to act with the sole aim of more or
less consciously deceiving others as well as themselves.
The rules and customs concerning property, position,
and what represented the administration of justice,
evidently bore a close relation to their religious belief.
The customs according to which an individual became
member of a family, partaking of its reputation as well
as its means of subsistence, were supported and con-
firmed by the belief that the souls of ancestors remained
guardian spirits to their descendants, having left them
their amulets and serrats as a kind of pledges. The
same ideas must be regarded as having formed the
principal foundation for the avenging of blood.
The social institutions in connection with the local
conditions leaving still ample room for arbitrary acts of
violence, the fear of vengeance by ghosts, kivigtoks,
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64 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
anghiaks, serrats, amulets^ and tupilaks, must >Kave
powerfully contributed to prevent weak and helpless
persons being wronged.
By the custom of naming a child after a deceased
person, it was intended to secure rest in his grave for
the latter. The child, when grown up, was bound to
brave the influenced which had caused his death. If,
for instance, the deceased had perished at sea, his
successor had only so much greater an inducement for
striving to grow a skilful kayaker.
The education of children was apparently managed
without any corporal punishment ; but threatening them
with the vengeance of malevolent spirits, principally the
kungusotarissat, was one of the means employed to keep
unruly urchins in check.
The various rules for abstinence in many instances
certainly had a direct relation to health.
As to the funeral rites, the treatment of the body
being considered in some way to influence the state
of the soul after death, it was generally placed on the
floor, for the purpose of guiding the soul on its road to
the under world ; but in the case of malefactors, the
body was dismembered, and the separate limbs were
thrown apart. Otherwise the funeral rites differed
extremely, the Asiatic Eskimo, it is said, burning their
dead, the East Greenlanders throwing them into the sea ;
whereas the rest and greater part of the nation buried
them beneath a heap of stones, or in a kind of stone cell.
v.— Traditional Tales, Science, and Arts.
In the Introduction to the Tales and Traditions which
precedes them we shall endeavour to explain the pro-
bable origin and the significance of the tales,as re-
presenting the science, poetry, and religious doctrines
of the nation. While these three elements are gene-
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'TRADITIONAL TALES, SCIENCE, AND ARTS. 6$
rally more or less associated, there are many tales in
which one of them may be said to predominate, so
that Aese might wMi propriety be called eithc^^j^liz-
j^oug?Tiistorical, oi^erely amusing tales. Anything
traditional, apart from the tales, which could in any
sense be called science^ is only to b^ fO""d in th^ anfra-
kok-wisdom, in additjon to some trifling knowledge of
fpedicine, of astronomy, and.pf dividing the year into
seasons in conformity _with the wanderings of animals,
the positTon oFttie sun, nioon, and stars, and other scanty
observations derived from experience. Art, on the con-
trary," Ve may properly consider to be separately repre-
sented by songs, already mentioned as an entertain-
ment at the festive meetings. In being recited or
intoned, it will be remembered that they combined \/
mimicry and music with poetry. To be properly appre- \
dated, even the tales must be heard in Greenland, re-
lated by a native raconteur in his own language ; but the
songs are still more unfit for rendering by writing or
translation, the words themselves being rather trifling,
the sentences abrupt, and the author evidently presuming
the audience to be familiar with the whole subject or.,^--^
gist of the song, and able to guess the greater part of it.
Every strophe makes such an abrupt sentence, or con-
sists of single and even abbreviated words, followed by
some interjectional words only used for songs and with-
out any particular signification. The gesticulations and
declamation, accompanied by the drum, are said to
have been very expressive, while the melody itself was
rather monotonous and dull. The old mode of sing-
ing is now nearly extinct in the Danish districts of
Greenland. The author, however, succeeded in collect-
ing several songs which were still remembered, of which
the following may serve as samples. The first is given
for this purpose in the original language, with the inter-
jectional burden complete as it is said by the natives to
have been sung.
E Digitized by VjOOQ IC
66 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
A NITH-SONG OF KUKOOK,
who was a bad hunter, but anxious to acquire the
friendship of the Europeans ; sung about sixty years
ago at a large meeting in the southernmost part of
Greenland.
KuKdrssuanguaK imaKaja haijd,
imaKaja ha
haijSL OKalulerangame imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haija avalagkumdrpunga imasaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji umiarssuarssuarmik imaKaja haiji
imakaja ha
haiji ivnarssuangussaK imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji sapangarsinidkuvko imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji dsussarssuamik imaKaja haiji
imaKaja haiji
haiji avalagsimasfnardlunga imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji nunaligkumirpunga imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji erKardlerssuangudka imaKaja haiji
imakaja ha
haiji KirKuvdlarsinardlugit imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji unatilerumirp^Ka imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji agdlunaussarssuarmik imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji nuliarumirpunga imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji emglnaK mardlungordlugit imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji ivnarssuangussaK imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
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TRADITIONAL TALES, SCIENCE, AND ARTS. 6j
haija Kassigiiinamik atortugssaK imaKaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haiji aiparssuangussa imaicaja haiji
imaKaja ha
haij^ natserssuaralingussaK imaKaja haija
imaKaja ha
Translation.
The wicked little Kukook imakayah hayah, ima-
kayah hah — ^liayah uses to say, .... I am going
to leave the country .... in a large ship
. . . . for that sweet little woman Ill
try to get some beads .... of those that look
like boiled ones Then when Fve gone
abroad, .... I shall return again My
nasty little relatives .... Til call them all to me
. . . . and give them a good thrashing ....
with a big rope's end Then TU go to
marry, .... taking two at once That
darling little creature .... shall only wear
clothes of the spotted seal-skins, .... and the
other little pet .... shall have clothes of the
young hooded seals
MUTUAL NITH-SONG BETWEEN SAVDLADT AND
PULANGITSISSOK.
(From East Greenland^
SavcUat The south, the south, oh the south yonder.
. . When settling on the midland coast I met
Pulangitsissok, . . . who had grown stout and fat
with eating halibut. . . . Those people from the
midland coast they don't know speaking, . . . be-
cause they are ashamed of their speech. . . . Stupid
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68 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
they are besides. . . . Their speech is not alike,
. . . some speak like the northern, some like the
southern ; . . . therefore we can't make out their
talk.
Pulangitsissok, There was a time when Savdlat
wished that I should be a good kayaker, . . . that
I could take a good load on my kayak. . . . Many
years ago some day he wanted me to put a heavy load
on my kayak. . . . (This happened at the time)
when Savdlat had his kayak tied to mine (for fear of
being capsized). . . . Then he could carry plenty
upon his kayak. . . . When I had to tow thee, and
thou didst cry most pitiful, . . . and thou didst
grow afeared, . . . and nearly wast upset, . . .
and hadst to keep thy hold by help of my kayak
strings.
A SONG FRON SANERUT.
{South Greenland,)
I behold yon land of Nunarsuit ; . . the mountain-
tops on its south side are wrapped in clouds ; . . it
slopes towards the south, . . towards Usuarsuk.
♦ . What couldst thou expect in such a miserable
place } . . All its surroundings being shrouded with
ice, . . not before late in the spring can people
from there go travelling.
A SONG FROM ARSUT.
(South Greenland)
The great Koonak mount yonder south, . . I do
behold it ; . . the great Koonak mount yonder south,
. . I regard it ; . . the shining brightness (clouds ?)
yonder south, . . I contemplate. . . Outside of
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TRADITIONAL TALES, SCIENCE, AND ARTS. 69
Koonak . . it is expanding, . . the same that
Koonak towards the seaside . . doth quite encom-
pass. . . Behold how in the south . they
(clouds }) shift and change. . . Behold how yonder
south . . they tend to beautify each other, . .
while from the seaside it (the mountain-top) is envel-
oped . . in sheets still changing, . . from the
seaside enveloped, . . to mutual embellishment.
ANOTHER SONG FROM ARSUT.
Towards the south I ever turn my gaze, . . for at
the point of Isua land, . . for near the strand of
Isua, . . yonder from the south he will appear ; . .
that way he certainly will come. . . Korsarak is
sure to clear the point, . . no doubt Korsarak will
be equal to it (in his kayak). . . But if still he did
not happen to come, . . not until the season of the
halibuts, . . not before the halibut-fishing begins,
. . not until the men are hauling up the halibuts.
These latter songs, of course, like the first, have
different interjectional burdens added to the strophes, V
here only separated by breaks. ^
Lastly, it must be noticed that though the present
Greenlanders appear to have a pretty fair talent for
drawing and writing, scarcely any traces of the arts of
drawing and sculpture belonging to earlier times re-
main, with the exception of a few small images cut out
in wood or bone, which have probably served children
as playthings. The western Eskimo, on the other
hand, displayed great skill in carving bone ornaments i /'
principally on their weapons and tools.
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70 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
VI.— Probable Origin and History.
If we suppose the physical conditions and the climate
of the Eskimo regions not to have altered in any re-
markable way since they were first inhabited, their in-
habitants Vof course must originally have come from
more southern latitudes, and, after their arrival in those
regions, have made the inventions and adopted the
mode of life which constitute their character as Eskimo.
When we consider how uniformly this character now
manifests itself, notwithstanding the great separation of
the tribes for upwards of a thousand years or more, it
seems probable, firstly, that the nation during such a
period of development must have lived in closer con-
nection, allowing of concurrence in making the necessary
inventions, as well as in bringing about a general adop-
tion of the same mode of life ; and secondly, that the
development of their culture during that period must
have been active and rapid in comparison with the time
of separation which followed, during which the tribes
have been leading a very stationary existence, almost
without any perceptible change. Passing on to the
next question — where this development or this change
of a migrating tribe from the south into a polar coast
people has taken place — it appears evident on many
grounds that such a southern tribe has not been a coast
people migrating along the sea-shore, and turning into
Eskimo on passing beyond a certain latitude, but that
they have more probably emerged from some interior
country, following the river-banks towards the shores
of the polar sea, having reached which they became a
coast people, and, moreover, a polar coast people. The
Eskimo most evidently representing the polar coast
people of North America, the first question which arises
seems to be whether their development can be conjec-
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PROBABLE ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 7 1
tured with any probability to have taken place in that
part of .the world. Other geographical conditions ap-
pear greatly to favour such a supposition. It has been
stated (principally by Lewis Morgan) that the primitive
hunting nations of North America have obtained their
principal means of subsistence from the rivers, espe-
cially by the salmon-fishery. The north-west angle of
America, from California to the Coppermine river, con-
tains several large rivers very rich in fish. The general
tendency of all the primitive nations to expand by
driving out one another must have almost necessarily
compelled those of them who occupied the extreme
confines to go onward till they reached the sea-shore.
If this happened to be that of the polar seas, the new
settlers would at once in its animals find a rich source
of sustenance, at the same time as the country which
they had passed through and left behind had gradually
grown more barren and destitute of the means of sup-
porting human life. This almost sudden change in their
whole mode of life is also very likely to have given rise
to the general sharp separation of this coast people from
the inland tribes, and the position of hostility in which
they stood to each other. The North- West Indians
might be considered as forming an intermediate link
between them. These derive about one-half of their
supplies from the sea by whale-fishery. The rivers
taking their course to the sea between Alaska and the
Coppermine river, seem well adapted to lead such a
migrating people onwards to the polar sea. While still
resident on the river-banks in the interior, they may be
supposed to have had the same language, and to have
been able to communicate overland from one river to
the other. This intercourse we may assume to have
been still maintained while those of the bands most in
advance had already settled down on the sea-shore and
begun catching seals and whales, covering their boats
with skins instead of birch-bark, and making the prin-
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72 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
cipal inventions with regard to seal-hunting peculiar to
the Eskimo ; and while the whole nation in this way
gradually settled down on the sea-shore, it also main-
tained the unity necessary for the purpose of defending
itself against the hostile inland people. If, in accord-
ance with what has been above stated, we likewise
suppose the principal part of the folk-lore to have
originated about this period, the subjects mentioned
in the tales would constitute a means for guiding us in
search of the locality where the first settling on the
sea-shore is likely to have taken place. For this pur-
pose it will be sufficient to call to mind the tales treating
of the following subjects : —
1. An expedition to the inlanders for the purpose of
procuring metal knives.
2. A man descended both from the coast people and
the inlanders, and his deeds among both.
3. The brothers visiting their sister, who had been
married into a tribe of cannibals.
4. An onslaught on the coast people, from which
only a couple of children were saved, who went off
roaming far and wide, and performed great deeds.
5. A woman living alternately among the coast people
and the inlanders, persuading them to wage war against
each other.
6. Women who from different causes went and settled
down among the inlanders.
7. A man taming wild animals for the purpose of
crossing the frozen sea.
8. Different travels to Akilinek.
On comparing these subjects of the tales with the
present geographical conditions, we will find that in all
respects they suggest America and not Asia. ThejffOs^ —
.bable identity of the "inlanders" with the Indians lias,
already been remarked oh. "When the new coast people
began to spread along the Arctic shores, some bands of
them may very probably have crossed Behring Strait
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PROBABLE ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 73
and settled on the opposite shore, which is perhaps
identical with the fabulous country of Akilinek. On
the other hand, there is very little probability that a
people can have moved from interior Asia to settle on
its polar sea-shore, at the same time turning Eskimo,
and afterwards almost wholly emigrated to America. y ^
On comparing the Eskimo with the neighbouring y
nations, their physical complexion certainly seems to
point at an Asiatic origin ; but, as far as we know,
the latest investigations have also shown a transi-
tional link to exist between the Eskimo and the other
American nations, which would sufficiently indicate the
possibility of a common origin from the same continent.
As to their mode of life, the Eskimo decidedly resemble
their American neighbours ; whereas all the northern-
most nations of the Old World, with the exception of
the Kamtskadales, are pastoral tribes, regarding fishing
on their rivers as only a secondary occupation ; and when
some of them have settled on the river-sides, or even on
the sea-shore, given up their reindeer, and made fishing
and hunting their main means of subsistence, these have
still been families originally belonging to the pastoral
tribes, who have changed their mode of life chiefly on
account of poverty. In the Old World we nowhere find
an3^ing at all like a coast race as opposed to an inland
people, with the exception of the Asiatic Eskimo on the
coast (Tschoukschees), who are quite different from, but
still live in friendly relations with, the pastoral Tschouk- I
schees. As to religion, the Eskimo are also allied to /
the Americans, and differ from the Asiatic nations, who
have a more perfect system of deities, worship idols,
and with whom sacrifices form the principal part of
their religious rites. With regard to their language,
the Eskimo also appear akin to the American nations
in regard to its decidedly polysynthetic structure. Here,
however, on the other hand, we meet with some very
remarkable similarities between the Eskimo idiom and
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74 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
the language of Siberia, belonging to the Altaic or
Finnish group: first, as to the rule of joining the.
affixes to the end and not the beginning of the primi-
tive word ; and second, the very characteristic mode of
forming the dual by k and the plural by /.
At all events, it must be granted that the origin of
the Eskimo people remains very obscure; and that,
possibly, early intercourse and subsequent mutual in-
fluence may once have existed between the northernmost
nations of the two continents, which future researches
may yet reveal.
As regards their numbers, the Eskimo must also
be supposed to have increased considerably in early
periods beyond what has been the case in later times ;
and the feuds between the single families, or larger
bands, must probably have accelerated their being dis-
persed to the far east of Greenland and Labrador. Ac-
cording to the sagas of the Icelanders, they were already
met with on the east coast of Greenland about the year
looo, and almost at the same time on the east coast
of the American continent, on the so-called Vinland,
probably Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Thorvald, the
son of Erik the Red, was killed in a fight which ensued
at this meeting; but later travellers in Vinland en-
gaged in barter with the same natives, and brought two
young Eskimo back with them, who were subsequently
baptised, and stated that their mother's name was
Vatheldi, and that of their father Uvoege (probably the
Greenlandish uvia^ signifying her husband). Between the
years lOOO and 1300, they do not seem to have occupied
the land south of 65° N.L., on the west coast of Green-
land, where the Scandinavian colonies were then situated.
But the colonists seem to have been . aware of their
existence in higher latitudes, and to have lived in fear
of an attack by them, since, in the year 1266, an ex-
pedition was sent out for the purpose of exploring the
abodes of the Skralings, as they were called by the
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PROBABLE ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 75
colonists. In 1379, the northernmost settlement was
attacked by them, eighteen men being killed and two
boys carried off as prisoners. About the year 1450, the
last accounts were received from the colonies, and the
way to Greenland was entirely forgotten in the mother
country. It must be supposed that the colonists, on
being thus cut off from the world abroad, retired into
the interior of the fiords and creeks ; while the Eskimo
gradually settled on the islands, — and that the latter
defeated and partly destroyed the remains of the former.
The features of the natives in the southern part of Green-
land indicate a mixed descent from Scandinavians and
Eskimo, the former, however, not having left the slightest
sign of any influence on the nationality or culture of the
present natives. In the year 1585, Greenland was dis-
covered anew by John Davis, and found inhabited ex-
clusively by Eskimo. After a series of exploring and
fishing expeditions, during which many acts of violence
and cruelty were perpetrated on the natives, the present
colonies were founded by Egede in the year 172 1 ; and
since then the whole west coast, upwards to 74"* N.L.,
has been brought into complete and regular connection
with Denmark. I have spoken of the habits of the
Greenlanders chiefly in the past tense, simply for the
reason that though their hunting habits, ways of life, and
methods af thought are still much as they always were,
the influence of the Danish officials, who conduct the
trading monopoly, and of the missionaries, has been such
that they have within the bounds of the Danish posses-
sions abandoned many of their ancient customs along
with their paganism, which change we shall endeavour
to explain in the following section.
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^6 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
VII.— Influence of Contact with Europeans.
The natives of the Danish districts, whose numbers
during last century seem to have been greatly on the
decrease, were afterwards, for a long period, again in-
creasing; while, since 1855, they have remained almost
stationary between 9400 and 9700 souls. They have long
been Christianised, and brought into a regular state of
subjection to the Danish Government, by means of the
monopolised trade, the missionaries and schools, as well
as several other administrative institutions. The intro-
duction of intoxicating liquors, as well as those acts of
violence and oppression which in other countries have
destroyed the primitive races, especially those who live
by hunting, have been here unknown. Scarcely any
other country will be found where the Europeans have
shown so much consideration for, and been so careful
of, the uncivilised natives as in this case. From the
very beginning of the monopolised trade, it has been
carried on with a view to introduce and make accessible
to them such articles as were judged to be most neces-
sary and useful to them ; and not without much hesita-
tion have such articles of luxury as bread, coffee, and
sugar, besides tobacco, been sold to them. By help of
native schoolmasters, instruction is given to the children
in all the wintering places, except a few where the num-
ber of inhabitants is too small. Attempts have been made
to provide the natives with necessary medicines, alongwith
some medical aid, although the latter remains, of course,
very insufficient and illusory, on account of the extreme
distances ; and finally, the Government has endeavoured
to establish regular institutions for the relief of the poor,
and likewise taken measures for the administration of
justice and laws, as far as circumstances would admit.
Still, the general destructive influence of nations at a
far more advanced stage of culture upon those on a
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INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS. 7/
lower stage may here be traced — poverty, combined with
predisposition to certain diseases, having sensibly in-
creased. Greenland must be considered peculiarly ad-
apted for making closer inquiries as to the nature of this
influence.
From the earliest times of the colonisation, Europeans
of the working classes have intermarried with native
women, and formed their household after the Greenland
model, with merely a few European improvements.
These marriages have generally been rich in offspring ;
and have probably become a concurring means of tem-
porarily, increasing the population, the children, for the
most part, growing up as complete Greenlanders. This
mixed offspring being now very numerous, and its
individuals representing the mixture of European and
native blood in almost every possible proportion, ^iny
marked distinction between the Europeans and the na-
tives might be supposed to have gradually disappeared.
But the real difference of nationality depending on edu-
cation, not on physical constitution, there are still suffi-
ciently sharp distinctions to indicate what we mean by
Europeans and natives. The average number of Euro-
peans in the country, excepting at the time of existence
of some temporary establishments peculiarly European,
has varied between 200 and 300.
When the natives saw the first Europeans approach-
ing their country from the sea in great ships, furnished
with things all wonderful to them, they can hardly have
failed to combine the idea of something supernatural
with them. The Europeans, on their part, on settling
down in the country, in order to make their existence
more secure, were involuntarily led to abolish all native
authority, especially that of the angakut, and to suppress
all kinds of national meetings. Religious zeal — ^here of
course, as everywhere else, combined with worldly and
social aims — and national prejudice tended to make them
despise and indiscriminately denounce all the native
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78 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
customs and institutions as heathenish; and in time,
European authority more and more became the prin-
cipal law among them. From this abolition of native
laws and authority, and a kind of self-abasement and
disheartening consequently arising among them, the
real or principal source of the national evils must be
considered to proceed.
Two national treasures yet remain to the natives, by
means of which they still maintain a kind of independ-
ence and national feeling — viz., their language and their
folk-lore. Through the tales, they also still preserve a
knowledge of their ancient religious opinions, combined
somewhat systematically with the Christian faith. Tor-
narsuk, in being converted into the devil by the first
missionaries, was only degraded, getting in the mean-
time, on the other hand, his real existence confirmed for
ever. In consequence of this acknowledgment in part
of tomarsuk, the whole company of inue or spirits were
also considered as still existing. The ingnersuit were
expressly charged by Egede as being the devil's ser-
vants. The Christian heaven coming into collision with
the upper world of their ancestors, the natives very
ingeniously placed it above the latter, or, more strictly,
beyond the blue sky. By making tomarsuk the prin-
ciple of evil, a total revolution was caused with regard
to the general notions of good and evil, the result of
which was to identify the idea of good with what was
conformable to European, authority; but, unhappily,
the rules and laws given^liy the Europeans often varied
with the individuals who successively arrived from
Europe quite ignorant of the natives. In the same
way as the ancient belief in the world of spirits has ))een
kept up, the Greenlanders also maintain their old Auth
respecting the aid to be got from it, and have habtbually
recourse to it. The kayakers, in their troublesome and
hazardous occupation, still believe themselves taken
care of by invisible ingnersuit. Although the natives
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INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS. 79
are aware that the aid required from the spirit-world of
the angakut is opposed to Christianity, they still discern
as clearly as formerly between that and witchcraft
Only in rare instances have some of the natives at-
tempted to form a Christian community independent
of the Europeans, and founded on alleged immediate
revelations from heaven ; but these efforts have been soon
suppressed No attempts have ever been made to
re-establish the ancient authority of the angakut.
Excepting the introduction of firearms, no essential
change has taken place in the hunting operations of the
natives. The principal means of subsistence are still
procured in the same way as they were a thousand years
ago. It will also be evident that a consumption of from
thirty to forty pounds of bread annually per individual,
besides coffee, sugar, and tobacco, cannot have essen-
tially contributed to change the habitual food of the
population. As to the rules regarding property, and
the distribution of the daily gains from hunting and
fishing, some changes must of course have arisen from
the settling of Europeans among the natives ; besides,
a great portion of the produce of the chase is now turned
into articles of trade. But still, the ancient principle
of mutual assistance and semi-communism, out of the
feeling of clanship it may be, still predominates among
the Eskimo. When, however, the lazy and the active,
the skilled and the unskilled, fared the same, owing to
this division of the produce of the hunt, personal energy
and activity necessarily abated. As to the body of per-
sons constituting the family, the Europeans from the
first made a practice of interfering with the discipline
exercised by the head member,>,and even with the choice
of liusband or wife ; while, at the same time, the chil-
dren* were not, as before, invariably brought up to the
national occupation of hunters and fishers, and accord-
ingly a temptation to waste the proceeds of the good
man's labour increased. As to the communities com-
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80 SKETCH OF THE ESKIMO.
prising the inhabitants of the same house or the same
hamlet, their mutual relations have also necessarily been
essentially altered, partly in having members added to
their band who did not contribute to the common
household, and also by their being enabled to barter
away their seal-oil, and even the flesh, for European
articles, principally such as would serve to improve their
meals. On the other hand, in cases of any particular
want, public opinion still requires the neighbouring seal-
hunter to proffer his aid, if he had anything left beyond
his own needs for the day. In fact, the Europeans, and
perhaps those who are in their service, are now con-
sidered the only persons really entitled to possess pro-
perty to any extent, the native sooner or later finding
too much trouble in keeping what he may have saved
up. Probably, by way of lessening the demands made
on a provider by his house-fellows, a growing tendency
has been observed in Greenland to make the houses
smaller ; but still it is extraordinary how many persons
are entirely supported by a single man. All this taken
into consideration, the security for person and property,
which ought to have been one of the first advantages of
the social order introduced by the Europeans, though
prospering on the whole, on closer investigation still
shows itself in some respects illusory as far as concerns
the natives.
Although the general economical conditions of the
Greenlanders now present a somewhat disheartening
picture, there remain various circumstances which leave
some ground for hope that they may regain their former
prosperity, and that contact with a people in a higher
stage of civilisation will prove no absolute hindrance to
their existence and welfare. Firstly, in many places we
meet with pure natives who have been able to combine
the industry of their ancestors with the advantage to be
derived from the use of European articles which are now
for sale, and by means of these have established a house-
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INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS. 8 1
hold undoubtedly preferable to that which formed the
highest stage of comfortable life among the ancient
Greenlanders. Next, it must be noticed that in many
families the children even of European fathers, who are
more exposed than other natives to the influence of
European habits, and also to the use of European
articles, have often become the most able kayakers and
industrious seal-hunters. Next, it must be remarked
that the natives show a great aptitude for learning, and
are anxious to profit by the instruction imparted at
schools, regular school attendance being perhaps in no
country more popular than in Greenland ; and lastly, it
has been proved by experience that the natives them-
selves are acquiring a notion of the benefit arising from
suitable laws and social institutions, which are necessary
for the bringing about a more regulated way of making
those habits which are inseparable from their trade and
mode of life conformable to their relation with the
Europeans.
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o.r.. , i
INTRODUCTION
TO
THE TALES AND TRADITIONS.
The tales and traditions, the relation of which forms
one of the principal amusements and entertainments
of the Greenland ers, appear to be instructive, and not
without signification in regard to the study of the origin
and development of traditions in general.
Firstly, it must be observed that the natives them-
selves divide their tales into two classes — the ancient
tales, called ojcaLogtuat (plural of OKaLugtiiaK), and the
more recent ones, called OKaLualftratit (plural of ojcalu-
al&rat). The first kind may be more or less considered
the property of the whole nation, at least of the greater
part of its tribes; while the tales included under the
second are, on the other hand, limited to certain parts
of the country, or even to certain people related to each
other, thus presenting the character of family records.
The Eskimo are, more than any other nation, spread
over a wide extent of country, only occupied by them-
selves, and thus are little acted upon by alien settlers.
The inhabitants of their extreme western bounds, with
their native means of transport, would have to traverse
somewhere about five thousand miles before reaching
the dwellings of their countrymen in the farthest east,
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84 INTRODUCTION.
and in this journey would meet only with scanty little
bands of their own tribes settled here and there, gene-
rally consisting of 1^*^^ tbfJP. a hundred souls. Their
little hamlets are severed from each other by desolate
tracts of ten to twenty — nay, even hundreds of miles.
Though there is every probability that the various tribes
of these vast regions have originated from one common
home, their present iiitfitcourse i& very limited ; and it
may without exaggeration be asserted that the inhabi-
tants of Greenland and Labrador, and those of the
shores of Behring Strait, cannot in any likelihood
have communicated with each other for a thousand
years or more, nor have they any idea of their mutual
existence.^ In accordance with this isolation, a closer
study of the traditions will also show how wide a space
of time must be supposed to exist between the origin of
the two classes of tales. Th^^greater part of the ancient
1 tales probablj^date from a far remoter period than one
I tKousand'years ; the invention of the more recent tradi-
i tions, on the other hand, must be supposed in most cases
not even to go back so far as two hundred years, and they
chiefly comprise events concerning families living in the
very district where they are told. It may, however, be
taken for granted, that in days of yore such new tales
may have appeared at any time; but after a short
existence they were gradually forgotten, giving place to
others, and so on, continuously alternating during the
lapse of ages : while the ancient tales have been pre-
served unchanged, like some precious heirlooms which it
would have been sacrilege to have touched. The defi-
nition we have here tried to give of the two classes is,
however, by no means exhaustive, nor without excep-
tions. In our collection will be found stories which
undoubtedly must have originated between the two
^ When Dr Kane first visited the small tribe of Eskimo living in
Smith's Sound, they were astonished to find that they were not the only
people on the face of the earth.
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INTRODUCTION. 85
periods described, and therefore should form an inter-
mediate or exceptional class, if the division were to be
complete and fully carried out. There are, moreover,
many others which we are at a loss how to classify.
The art of story-telling is in Greenland practised by \
certain persons specially gifted in this respect ; and I
among a hundred people there may generally be J
found one or two particularly favoured with the art of
the raconteur, besides several less tolerable narrators.
The art requires the ancient tales to be related as nearly
as possible in the words of the original version, with
only a few arbitrary reiterations, and otheru^ise only
varied according to the individual talents of the narrator,
as to the mode of recitation, gesture^ &c. The only
real discretionary power allowed by the audience to the
narrator is the insertion of a few peculiar passages from
some shorter traditions ; but even in that case no altera-
tion of these original or elementary materials used in
the composition of tales is admissible. Generally, even
the smallest deviation from the original version will be
taken notice of and corrected, if any intelligent person
happens to be present. This circumstance accounts for
their^existence in an_ unaltered shagelJirough ages ; for j
had there been the slightesf "tendency to variation on
the part of the narrator, or relish for it on that of the
audience, every similarity of these tales, told in such
widely-separated countries, would certainly have been
lost in the course of centuries. It would also appear ,
that it is the same narrators who compose the more
recent stories by picking up the occurrences and adven-
tures of their latest ancestors, handed down occasionally
by some old members of the family, and connecting and
embellishing them by a large addition of the super-
natural, for which purpose resort is always had to the
same traditional and mystical elements of the ancient
folk-lore. Undoubtedly the ancient tales have originally
been invented in a similar way, but at a time when the
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86 INTRODUCTION.
different tribes were living in closer connection with
each other and perhaps endowed with greater origin-
ality. It is to be supposed that the real or principal
traditions, with the power of continuance through many
centuries, are only produced after long intervals, and at
certain periods peculiarly qualified for their production.
As regards the Greenlanders, probably a new era of this
kind may have arisen from the time of their being
Christianised, many of the recent tales exhibiting con-
siderable similarity to Christian legends. The ele-
mentary parts used in composing all kinds of tales
being very numerous, it may be seen from the collection
itself that, notwithstanding the stability and limited
number of the ancient tales, the narrators, by help of
the interpolations mentioned, and by their power of
manufacturing modern tales, possess means for an
almost unlimited variety at their story-telling enter-
tainments.
^ The traditional tales, or rather the traditional elements
j' of the ancient as well as the more recent tales, would
never have been able to withstand the influence of cen-
( turies among these scattered and isolated bands if they
; had not been one of the most important means of
.^jjiaintaining their national life. Generally, all sorts of
mythical traditions are looked upon chiefly as materials
to aid in the search for historical facts. But with regard
to a stage of culture like that of the Greenland Eskimo
before their conversion to Christianity,^ the traditions^in
reality may be said to comprise the whole national store
of Intellectual or moral property — ^viz., religion, science,
and poetry at once, these manifestations of culture^being
but very imperfectly represented separately in a more
specialised form.
f In the first place, the traditions are to be considered
•as including a system of religion and morals as well as
of laws and rules for social life. Such knowledge as
^ The last pagan died in Danish Greenland only a few years ago.
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INTRODUCTION. 87
they convey is unconsciously imbibed by the native ]
from his earliest childhood through listening to the
story-tellers, exactly as a child learns to speak. And
when the Greenlander nowadays is in doubt about any
question regarding the superstitions or customs of his
ancestors, he will try to find an answer by looking for
some sample out of his tales, ancient or modern, the
latter also containing elementary parts of ancient origin ,
kept up in this manner by succeeding generations. The . \
information Used for our introductory remarks has also
been chiefly derived from this source. /
Ethnologists and travellers will find themselves mis-
taken if they expect to discover traditions that might
supply direct information regarding the origin and his-
tory of the Eskimo. The more recent tales only may be
said to include such real historical material, and that
merely relating to family matters and events going back
as far as four or six generations. The author has often
made inquiries among the natives about events that have
taken place two or three hundred years ago, and more
especially about such occurrences as might be supposed
to have impressed themselves deepest upon the memory
of the population, — as, for instance, the first arrival of
European ships, or even the terrible smallpox epidemic
of comparatively recent date — viz., 1733-34. But these
attempts have been almost entirely without result ; and,
as already said, the tales dating from an intermediate
period are either very scanty, or at least must be sup-
posed devoid of any historical interest It may be
considered certain that the present tribes of the nation
have not the remotest idea of their common original
home, nor of the migrations and rovings by which their
ancestors have peopled the territories now occupied by
them. Still, it may be supposed that at least a part
of their oldest tales have originated in true historical
events — are, in a word, " myths of observation ; " but
in order to extract any reliable historical information
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88 INTRODUCTION.
from this source, the following precautions have to be
observed : —
Firstly, it not unfrequently seems that a series of
occurrences happening within a limited period of time,
and bearing some resemblance to each other, have in
various cases been reduced to a single record which, sq
to speak, represents them all in one. This is confirmed
by one of the few stories which undoubtedly dates from
a period intermediate between ancient and modern
times. When the Eskimo invaded the southern part
of Greenland, they soon commenced hostilities with
the ancient Scandinavian settlers, who were at length
defeated, or totally disappeared. Among the gener-
ations immediately succeeding these events, there
must doubtless have existed several traditions about
the numerous feuds which must be supposed to have
occurred between the parties ; but by-and-by they were
forgotten, with the exception of one or two which had
perhaps been preferred to the rest, and listened to with
most satisfaction. Of these, two tales still remain.
The most remarkable one is now claimed as belonging
to both the districts in which the ruins of the old
colonies are found, each of which claims to be the
homestead of the heroes mentioned in the tale. Among
the older and most widely-spread tales, we need only
refer to one treating of a man who wished to cross the
frozen ocean, and for this purpose caught different wild
beasts, which he trained to pull his sledge. It is not
improbable that this story represents a whole series of
similar tales, originating from the period when the
Eskimo got their first dogs by domesticating some
species of wild animal, such as the wolf.
Next, it must be remembered that no tale could main-
tain its existence unless it was entertaining to the
audiences to whom it was related from time to time,
and especially unless it was easy to comprehend
without any elaborate explanation. For this pur-
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INTRODUCTION.
89
pose the tales had to be localised, or adapted to the
diflFerent countries in which the tribes in course of time
came to settle down, carrying their original traditions
with them — as, for instance, when told in Greenland,
their heroes were described as inhabitants not only of
Greenland, but even of various districts of the country,
according to the location of the narrator and his lis-
teners. And, moreover, when foreign nations and
animals unknown in Greenland happened to be men-
tioned in the ancient tales, they were generally, as time
went on, transformed into supernatural beings, with
which the imagination of the Greenlanders forthwith
peopled the vast interior of their land, as well as the
adjacent sea.
Besides religion and history, these traditional tales
also represent the poetry of the inhabitants of the frozen
North ; and this element has mainly inspired their lis-
teners with that love for them which still continues.
They present a true picture of what is likely to have
formed the principal objects of the people's imagination,
of what is considered great and delightful on one side,
and hateful and dreadful on the other, in human life as
well as in nature. They continually picture to us the
great struggle for existence, which has caused j)ersonictl
courage and strength to be acknowledged and admired
as the first condition of happiness ; and per contra^ the
idea of improving and securing the comforts of life by
the aid of property is only very scantily developed in
them. Not even to the almost universal sentiment of
love do we find the. J?i>etry of Greenland affording much
room. No wonder that such a scarcity of objects, and
such simplicity of passions and feelings in these details
of human life, render them uniform and rather fatiguing
to us ; but, on the other hand, we cannot but admit that
their inventors have exhibited a peculiar skill in pro-
ducing effect and variety with the help of such very
scanty materials. Closer examination will scarcely fail
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90 , INTRODUCTION.
to discover real poetical feeling in their way of causing
the highest perfection to be developed from the very-
smallest beginnings, as well as in their art of holding
forth the dangers on one side and the means of over-
coming them on the other, just as it might suit the nar-
rator's object of arresting the attention of their audience.
The poetical elements are also closely connected with
the religious contents, and many religious opinions may
further be regarded as emblematical or poetical. Such,
for example, are expressions for certain ideas — ^such as,
for instance, certain human qualities, the voice of con-
science, an invisible ruling justice, and several powers of
nature in their relation to mankind. A tendency to
figurative expression is also shown in their habit of
representing mankind in different stages of sexes and
ages as personifications of certain common human
qualities. For instance, the old bachelors always repre-
sent some ridiculous oddity ; the wife is in general re-
presented as with no care but of providing for her house-
hold, or how best she can econoniise ; the poor widow is
represented as especially excelling in benevolence and
mercy ; a band of five brothers, generally called " a lot
of" brothers or men, represent haughtiness and bru-
tality, and " the middlemost '* of them, moreover, means
envy.
The materials upon which the author has founded
this collection have been written down partly by
natives, partly by Europeans, from the verbal recital of
the natives, and in the latter case to a large extent by
the author himself. The manuscripts collected in this
manner amounted to upwards of five hundred sheets or
two thousand pages, aiid could be referred to about
fifty native narrators or story-tellers. Several difficul-
ties were met with in collecting these materials. The
mode most generally adopted by travellers when making
inquiries among a barbarous or foreign people about
their traditions is that of selecting certain facts as sub-
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INTRODUCTION. 9 1
jects for questioning them upon, such as how their
country was originally peopled, if their first ancestors
came from the West or from the East, if they happened
to know anything about a great deluge, &c. By this
mode of inquiry the natives most likely, finding that
they have no real information to offer, in order to satisfy
the questioner and get rid of the trouble he causes them,
will be influenced in their answers chiefly by what they
think the questioner would best like to hear. The only
way to acquire the information wanted is simply to
make the natives relate what forms the principal sub-
ject of the stories told at their own assemblies. To
make them understand that this was all we desired
caused, however, the first difficulty. The next arose
from their fear of being accused of heathenish supersti-
tion by revealing those superstitious tales to strangers.
In consequence of these hindrances, several Europeans
whom the author had specially requested to make in-
vestigations among the natives with whom they lived,
came to the erroneous conclusion that no traditions at
all, or only the most trifling ones, existed in the country.
Lastly, it may easily be imagined that part of the
manuscripts forwarded to him were in an incomplete
and exceedingly illegible condition — some of them,
indeed, conveying no meaning whatever.
The principal tales have for the most part been col-
lated from more than one version, and all the variations
have been most carefully examined and compared for
the purpose of composing a text such as might agree
best with the supposed original and most popular
mode of telling the same story. In the first and
principal part of the collection, the tales are in gene-
ral to be considered as a nearly literal rendering of
the verbal narratives, with only the omission of the
more arbitrary reiterations and interpolations already
referred to.
The natives who have contributed to this collection
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92 INTRODUCTION.
were inhabitants of the following parts of Eskimo-
land : —
South Greenland, or the west coast of Greenland up
to 6f N.L.
North Greenland, or the same coast from dy"" up to
74° N.L.
East Greenland, and
Labrador.
Of these regions South Greenland, in which the
author chiefly resided, has supplied the lion's share;
while, on the contrary, the east coast has furnished us
with only a few tales, which are not even written down
in that part of the country, but were picked up on the
west coast from east-coast people who had wandered
round Cape Farewell into the Danish settlement From
Labrador only sixteen tales have been obtained, from
materials written down by Moravian missionaries resi-
dent in that country in the years 1861-63, and one half
of those are undoubtedly identical with Greenland tales,
some passages of them even exhibiting the most strik-
ing verbal conformity. Besides the tales written down
in North Greenland in 1861-63, the author was furnished
with a very valuable collection written down by natives
there in the years 1823-28, but never published.
It has generally been an easy task to make out
whether the written relations had the character of true
folk-lore, or might have been of foreign origin — i, ^., either
from European sources or to be traced %to mere indi-
vidual invention. Only a few instances of this still
remain doubtful.
The entire collection of manuscripts consisted of more
than five hundred tales, which, however, by uniting
those which were judged, to be identical, have been
diminished to less than tfiree hundred. Of that number,
in this edition a great many have been omitted or given
in an abridged form, as being more or less of only local
interest.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
1.
KAGSAGSUK.
[The following tale has been constructed from nine different copies,^
received partly from various places in Greenland, and partly from
Labrador, all, however, agreeing upon every principal point. It does
not appear to rest upon any historical basis, but merely to have a moral
tendency, bringing before us the idea of a superior power protecting
the helpless, and avenging mercilessness and cruelty.] ^^
THERE was once a^or orphan boy who lived
among a lot of uncfiaritdbleTnen. His name
was Kagsagsuk, and his foster-mother was a miserable
old woman. These poor people had a wretched little
shed adjoining the house-passage} and they were not
allowed to eriter the main room. Kagsagsuk did not
even venture to enter the shed, but lay in the passage,
seeking to warm himself among the dogs. In the morn-
ing, when the men were rousing their sledge-dogs with
their whips, they often hit the poor boy as well as the
dogs. He then would cry. out, *' Na-ak ! Na-ahT'
^ Or doorway, a long and very narrow, sometimes half- subterranean,
tunnel, leading by an upward step to the main, or rather the only, room of
the winter hut, and adapted to keeping out the cold air. Its ends we have
called the outer and the inner entrance.
/Google
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94 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
mocking himself in imitating the dogs. When the men
were feasting upon various frozen dishes, such as the
hide of the walrus and frozen meat, the little Kagsagsuk
used to peep over the threshold, and sometimes the
men lifted him up above it, but only by putting their
fingers into his nostrils ; these accordingly enlarged,
but otherwise he did not grow at alL They would give
the poor wretch frozen meat, without allowing him a
knife to cut* it with, saying his teeth might do instead ;
and sometimes they pulled out a couple of teeth, com-
plaining of his eating too much. His poor foster-
mother procured him boots and a small beard-spear, in
order to enable him to go outside the house and play
with the other children ; but they would turn him over
and roll him in the snow, filling his clothes with it, and
treating him most cruelly in various ways : the girls
sometimes covered him all over with filth. Thus the
little boy was always tormented and mocked, and did
not grow except about the nostrils. At length he ven-
tured out among the mountains by himself, choosing
solitary places, and meditating how to get strength.
His foster-mother had taught him how to manage this.
Once, standing between two high mountains, he called
out : " Lord of strength, come forth ! Lord of strength,
come to me !" A large animal now appeared in the shape
of an amarok (now a fabulous animal, originally a wolQ,
and Kagsagsuk got very terrified, and was on the point
of taking to his heels ; but the beast soon overtook him,
and, twisting its tail round his body, threw him down.
Totally unable to rise, he heard the while a rustling
sound, and saw a number of seal-bones, like small toys,
falling from his own body. The amarok now said :
" It is because of these bones that thy growth has been
stopped." Again it wound its tail round the boy, and
again they fell down, but the little bones were fewer
this time ; and when the beast threw him down the
third time, the last bones fell off. The fourth time he
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 9$
did not quite fall^ and at the fifth he did not fall at all,
but jumped along the ground. The amarok now said :
" If it be thy wish to become strong and vigorous, thou
mayst come every day to me." On his way home,
Kagsagsuk felt very much lighter, and could even run
home, meanwhile kicking and striking the stones on his
way. Approaching the house, the girls who nursed
the babies met him, and shouted, "Kagsagsuk is coming
— let us pelt him with mud ; " and the boys beat him and
tormented him as before : but he made no opposition,
and following his old habits, he went to sleep among
the dogs. Afterwards, he met the amarok every day,
and always underwent the same process. The boy felt
stronger every day, and on his way home he kicked the
very rocks, and rolling himself on the ground, made the
stones fly about him. At last the beast was not able
to overthrow him, and then it spoke : " Now, that will
do ; human beings will not be able to conquer thee any
more. Still, thou hast better stick to thy old habits.
When winter sets in, and the sea is frozen, then is thy
time to show thyself; three great bears will then appear,
and they shall be killed by thy hand." That day Kag-
sagsuk ran all the way back, kicking the stones right
and left, as was his wont. But at home he went on as
usual, and the people tormented him more than ever.
One day, in the autumn, the kayakers ^ returned home
with a large piece of driftwood, which they only made
fast to some large stones on the beach, finding it too
heavy to be carried up to the house at once. At nightfall,
Kagsagsuk said to his mother, " Let me have thy boots,
mother, that I too may go down and have a look at the
large piece of timber." When all had gone to rest, he
slipped out of the house, and having reached the beach,
and loosened the moorings, he flung the piece of timber on
his shoulders and carried it up behind the house, where
^ Men in their kayaks, or skin canoes, made for the purpose of seal-
hunting, with room only for a single person.
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96 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
he buried it deep in the ground. In the morning, when
the first of the men came out, he cried, " The driftwood
is gone ! " and when he was joined by the rest, and they
saw the strings cut, they wondered how it could possibly
have drifted away, there being neither wind nor tide.
But an old woman, who happened to go behind the
house, cried, "Just look ! here is the spar !" whereat they
all rushed to the spot, making a fearful noise, shouting,
" Who can have done this ? there surely must be a man
of extraordinary strength among us ! " an4 the young
men all gave themselves great airs, that each might
be believed to be the great unknown strong man — the
impostors !
In the beginning of the winter, the housemates of
Kagsaguk ill-treated him even worse than before ; but
he stuck to his old habits, and did not let them suspect
anything. At last the sea was quite frozen over, and
seal-hunting out of the question. But when the days
began to lengthen, the men one day came running
in to report that three bears were seen climbing an
iceberg. Nobody, however, ventured to go out and
attack them. Now was Kagsagsuk's time to be up
and doing. " Mother," he said, " let me have thy boots,
that I too may go out and have a look at the bears ! "
She did not like it much, but, however, she threw her
boots to him, at the* same time mocking him, saying,
" Then fetch me a skin for my couch, and another for
my coverlet, in return." He took the boots, fastened
his ragged clothes around him, and then was off for the
bears. Those who were standing outside cried, " Well,
if that is not Kagsagsuk ! What can he be about ?
Kick him away!" and the girls went on, "He must
surely be out of his wits ! " But Kagsagsuk came run-
ning right through the crowd, as if they had been a
shoal of small fish; his heels seemed almost to be
touching his neck^ while the snow, foaming about,
sparkled in rainbow colours. He ascended the iceberg
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 9/
by taking hold with his hands, and instantly the largest
bear lifted his paw, but Kagsagsuk turned round to
make himself hard (viz., invulnerable by charm), and
seizing hold of the animal by the fore-paws, flung it
against the iceberg, so that the haunches were severed
from the body, and then threw it down on the ice to
the bystanders, crying, " This was my first catch ; now,
flense away^ and divide!" The others now thought,
*' The next bear will be sure to kill him." The former
process, however, was repeated, and the beast thrown
down on the ice ; but the third bear he merely caught hold
of by the fore-paws, and, swinging it above his head, he
hurled it at the bystanders, crying, "This fellow behaved
shamefully towards me!" and then, smiting another,
" That one treated me still worse ! " until they all fled
before him, making for the house in great conster-
nation. On entering it himself he went straight to his
foster-mother with the two bear-skins, crying, "There
is one for thy couch, and another for thy coverlet!"
after which he ordered the flesh of the bears to be
dressed and cooked. Kagsagsuk was now requested
to enter the, main room; in answer to which request
he, as was his wont, only peeped above the threshold,
saying, " I really can't get across, unless some one will
lift me up by the nostrils ; " but nobody else venturing
to do so now, his old foster-mother came and lifted him
up as he desired. All the men had now become very
civil to him. One would say, " Step forward ;" another,
"Come and sit down, friend." "No, not there where
the ledge^ has no cover," cried another; "here is a nice
seat for Kagsagsuk." But rejecting their offers, he sat
down, as usual, on the side-ledge. Some of them went
^ Take off the skin and blubber.
* The main ledge or bench ; a low and broad bench for sitting and sleep-
ing places, occupying the whole length of the wall opposite to the windows,
the narrower side-ledge and window-ledge bordering the other walls. It
is generally known in Greenland as the '* brix."
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98 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
on, " We have got boots for Kagsagsuk ; " and others,
"Here are breeches for him!" and the girls rivalled each
other in offering to make clothes for him. After supper,
one of the inmates of the house told a girl to go and
fetch some water for " dear Kagsagsuk." When she had
returned and he had taken a drink, he drew her tenderly
towards him, praising her for being so smart for fetching
water ; but, all of a sudden, he squeezed her so hard
that the blood rushed out of her mouth. But he only
remarked, " Why, I think she is burst ! '* The parents,
however, quite meekly rejoined, " Never mind, she was
good for nothing but fetching water." Later on, when
the boys came in, he called out to them, " What great
seal-hunters ye will make!" at the same time seizing hold
of them and crushing them to death ; others he killed by
tearing their limbs asunder. But the parents only said,
"It does not signify — ^he was a good-for-nothing; he
only played a little at shooting." Thus Kagsagsuk
went on attacking and putting to death all the inmates
of the house, never stopping until the whole of them
had perished by his hand. Only the poor people who
had been kind to him he spared, and lived with them
upon the provisions that had been set by as stores for
the winter. Taking also the best of the kayaks left, he
trained himself to the use of it, at first keeping close to
the shore; but after some time he ventured farther out to
sea, and soon went south and northwards in his kayak.
In the pride of his heart he roamed all over the country
to show off his strength ; therefore, even nowadays he
is known all along the coast, and on many places there
are marks of his great deeds still shown, and this is why
the history of Kagsagsuk is supposed to be true.
Note. — In the Labrador tale, the name of the champion is called Kau
jakjuk^ and in different copies from Greenland, Kausaksuk^ KdssaksuMy
Kausasukf and Kauksaksuk, Several parts of Greenland claim the honour
of pointing out the ruins of his house. A remarkable ruin on cape Noog-
suak, of a very doubtful origin, is supposed to have been his bear- trap. In
one of the writings, the relater, hinting at the European fancy for curiosities.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 99
obserres : " I wonder why the masters, or even the kmg himself, who all
seem so very fond of collecting rare things, if they really believe in the tale,
have not taken one of the stones from this trap to be brought away with
some ship, if possible."
2.
THE BLIND MAN WHO RECOVERED
HIS SIGHT.
[The text of this story has been collated from eight copies, among which
two have been received from Labrador, the rest from different parts
of Greenland, three of them having been written down before 1828.
Like the former, it seems to have no historical, but only a moral or
mythological reference.]
A WIDOW had a son and a daughter. When the
son grew up, he made himself useful in different
ways, and also commenced seal-hunting. One day in
the beginning of winter he caught a thong-seal (a very
large species, Phoca barbata^). On bringing it home,
his mother wanted the skin for a ledge-cover, but he
insisted on having it for making htrnting-lines? The
mother grew angry, and in preparing the skirf and re-
moving the hairs, she practised some witchcraft on it,
and spoke thus ; " When he cuts thee- into thongs,
when he cuts thee asunder, then thou shalt snap and
smite his face ;" and she rejoiced in the thought that
it would hit him. When* she had finished her prepar-
> Or bearded seal — "the ground -seal" of the English sealers : also
called a "thong-seal," because the Eskimo cut their thongs and lines out
of its hide. See Robert Brown's * Seals of Greenland ; * Proc. Zoological
Society of London (1868) ; and the Admiralty Manual of the Natural
History of Greenland (1875).
* Line or thong attached with one end to the harpoon, with the other to
the kufUing-bladder^ an inflated entire seal-skin, which prevents the har-
pooned seals running away. *
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lOO TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ations, and he had cut out the first thong, he stretched
and strained it ; but in scraping it with a shell, a small
blister burst, and hitting both his eyes, blinded him.
The winter coming on, they were destitute of their
main provisions, and had to live entirely upon mussels
{Mytilus edulis) ; and the blind boy took his place on the
ledge, unable to go out hunting any more. Thus he
passed the first half of the winter. A great bear then
appeared, which began to eat away their (skin ^) window-
pane, and next thrust its head into the room. The
mother and the sister fled in great terror to the inmost
retired part of the ledge ; but the blind man said to his
sister, " Please bring my bow ; '* and she having given
it to him, he bent it, and asked her to take the right aim
for him. Levelling it at the animal, she gave him the
signal, whereon he shot, and the arrow struck the bear
so that it fell to the ground. The mother said, " Thou
hitst the window instead of the beast ; *' but his sister
whispered, " Thou hast killed a bear." They had now
provisions for the coming days ; but the mother never
gave her son any of the boiled bear-flesh, but only a few
shell-fish instead, and never let him taste a meal from
his own hunting, but, in order to starve him, concealed
her having any flesh. His sister, however, gave him his
portion when the mother was absent, and he swallowed
it in haste before her return. In this manner the greater
part of the winter passed away. At last the days
lengthened ; and one day, in the spring, the sister said,
*' Dost thou remember how very delightful the time was
when thou hadst still got thy sight, and wast able to go
out hunting, and how we used to roam about the
country } " The brother answered, " To be sure ; let us
be off" again. I can take hold of thee." And the next
morning at daybreak they went out together, he taking
^ In modem times, most of the Eskimo huts in Danish Greenland have
got glass window-panes; but through Eskimo-land generally, the semi-
transparent entrail of some animal serves this purpose.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS; ; 'I<?I,:
hold of her garments ; and all day long they wandered
about, the sister occupied in gjtthering shrubs ^ for fuel.
One day they came to a large plain beside a lake, and
the brother then said, " I think I will lie down a little,
while thou goest away to find more fuel ; " and accord-
ingly she left him. Whilst he was thus resting himself,
he heard some wild geese flying in the air above him,
and when they were right over his head, he heard one of
them crying out, " Look at the poor young man down
there; he is blind: would we could make him see." "
When the birds approached him he never stirred, but
lay quietly on his back. At this moment he had a
sense of something warm falling down on his eyes, one -
of the wild geese having dropped its excrement upon
them, and heard a voice saying, " Keep thy eyes shut till
the sound of our wings has altogether passed away, then
thou mayst try to open them." Again he lay down
motionless ; while the wild goose, sweeping its wings
across his face, repeated, " Mind thou dost not open thy
eyes." The sound of their wings now dying away, he
already observed a certain brightness; but when the
noise had altogether passed away, he opened his eyes
wide, and had his sight restored to him. He now called
out, "Nayagfa/" (so he called his sister). But she did
not return till evening, when she was seen coming across
the country, moody and downhearted, with one arm
drawn out of the sleeve of her jacket, and her chin
hidden in the fur collar. Perceiving her, he again called
out, " Nayagta, now thou needst not be in want of food or
anything else ; I shall give thee clothes, for now I have
my sight again." But she only gainsaid him, and
would not believe him until she looked into his reopened
eyes, and saw their sound and healthy appearance.
They both agreed not to let their mother know what
had happened. In descending the hills, and approach-
^ Such as the crowberry {Em^frum), the blaeberry {Vacctmum), the
dii^arf birch {BOula nana), &c.
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i62 ' ■' : TAL^S AND TRADITIONS.
ing the house, he caught sight of his bear-skin stretched
out to dry, and in front of the entrance its bones, and on
entering the main room he got a glimpse of its paws.
Shutting his eyes, he now took his usual place on the
ledge, and feigning to have been asleep, he started up,
saying, " I dreamt I saw a bear-skin stretched out be-
hind the house;" but the old woman merely replied,
*' Thou must surely have been thinking about somebody
who happened to hurt thee some time ago." Again the
son feigned sleeping, and starting up, he said, " Methinks
I also saw a lot of bear-bones outside the entrance/'
The old woman repeated her first answer ; but the third
time, on seeming to awake, the son said, " I dreamt I saw
two bear's paws here underneath the couch ; " and the
mother again giving the same answer, suddenly opening
his eyes, he said, "Mother, I mean these;" and then
she knew that he had regained the use of his eyes, and
she exclaimed, " Eat them, just eat them ! " He now
took up his old habits, and again commenced seal-hunt-
ing ; but, after some time, the idea grew upon him to
take revenge on his detestable old mother. The season
was at hand when the wAite whales ^ began to appear
along the ice-bound shore, and he used to catch them in
the following manner : he went out on the ice with his
sister, and having fastened his hunting-line round her
waist, he threw the harpoon which was attached to the
line into -the fish, thus making her serve him instead of
a hunting-bladder.* After which, they hauled together
till they had safely landed the fish on the ice, where
they afterwards killed it.
One day, returning home, he asked his sister, "Dost
thou like our old mother } " She made no answer ; but
on his repeating the question she only answered, " I am
1 ** White fish," — a large sort of dolphin — the Beluga or Ddpkinus albi-
cans of zoologists. It is captured in great ahtindance in Greenland.
' The inflated skin or bladder attached to the line to bring up the animal,
as well as the weapon when it has missed its mark and fallen into the sea.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. IO3
more fond of thee than of her ; thou art the only one I do
love." "Well, then, to-morrow she shall serve us for a blad-
der. I'll pay her off for having made me blind." They
both agreed upon the plan ; and returning to the house
where they found the mother busy mending boots, he
said, " Oh dear, how tired we are with hauling in the fish!
Now let my sister have a rest to-morrow; meantime thou
mightst serve me as a hunting-bladder. I suppose thou
canst keep thy footing when the fish pull the line." The
mother declaring herself willing, they all went down to
the open sea the next morning ; but when the white
whales appeared, and he was preparing to harpoon
them, she said : " Take one of the smallest, and not the
large ones ; " and perceiving some very little fish coming
up, she cried, " Look out and try for one of these ; " but
he answered, " They are still too big." At the same
instant, however, one of the very largest fishes rose to
the surface ; and harpooning it, he let go his hold of the
line, and when the animal had drawn his mother pretty
close to the water, he cried out, '* Dost thou remember
the time thou madest me blind .^" and while $he en-
deavoured to hold back, he pushed her on, saying, " That
fellow will give me my revenge." When she was close
to the very edge of the water, she cried, " My ullo ! "
(woman's knife) — " it was I who nursed thee ; " and with
these words she was plunged into the sea, which soon
covered her. Still she reappeared on the surface, cry-
ing, " My ullo^ my ullo; I nursed thee ! " but then dis-
appeared for ever. It is said that she was aftervi'ards
transformed into a fish, and that her spreading hair
turned into long horny teeth, from which the narwals^
are said to have their origin. The white whales having
all disappeared, brother and sister returned to the house,
and lamented the loss of their mother, feeling conscious
that she had nursed them, and taken care of them.
1 Monodon monoceros.
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104 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
They now began to be terrified at their deed, and
dared not stay in their little house; they therefore
fled on eastward, far away to the large continent,
roaming about the interior parts of the country.^ At
first he would not even kill a bird, feeling pity to-
wards them for having restored the use of his eyes to
him ; but at last he killed a swan, because his sister
wanted to have it, and it is said that this was the only
bird he caught for the remainder of his life. Far away
from the coast they built their house ; they grew to be
immensely old, and were always without friends. At
length they determined to show themselves among other
people, and he resolved upon going to some place which
had an angakok (priest of the heathens). After a while
he found such people, and decided to await the time
when the angakok was going to conjure his spirits. He
then went' up to the house ; but-ere he reached it, the
angakok began to complain, and cried, " I am going to
let a spirit out upon you ; a large fire is just outside "
(viz., the kivigtoky supernatural beings in general making
their appearance like a flame or brightness). The man
who was standing outside now made his inquiry : " Do
you not know me 1 — ^have ye heard of him who used his
mother for a hunting-bladder } " and as no one answered
him, he repeated the same question over again. An old
woman now rejoined : " I remember to have heard in
my childhood that many many years ago there lived a
brother and a sister who fastened their poor mother as a
bladder to a white whale." The stranger outside then
said : *' I am that very man ; I have come to denounce
myself: do come out and see what I am like." The an-
gakok went out, followed by his auditors, and they saw
him standing erect in the bright moonlight beside the
boat. The hair of his head was snowy white, as if he
^ People who fled from mankind in order to live in the desolate interior
of Greenland were called kivigtoks, and believed to acquire supernatural
qualities — such as clairvoyance, immense swiftness, and longevity.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
105
had been covered with a hood of white hare-skins ; but
his face was black, and his clothes were made of rein-
deer-skins, and he told them that his sister was not able
to move from pld age, and that they had their hut far
away in the interior of the country, and that their house-
fellows were terrible beings with heads like seals ; and
lastly he added: "After this, I will not show myself
any more to human creatures ; those to whom I wanted
to denounce myself I have done it to." After having
said these words he turned away, and has never been
seen afterwards.
Note, — The son's name has in Greenland been called Tutigak; in
Labrador, Kemongak. According to the Labrador tale, the birds make
him dive into the lake ; according to the Greenland readings, the mother
cried, ** It was I who cleared away thy urine " — instead of ** nursed thee.**
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I06 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
3.
IGIMARASUGSUK.
[This somewhat trifling but still curious story is well known to eveiy child
in Greenland ; and one tale has also been got from Labrador, and is un-
doubtedly another reading of the same original, though much abridged
and altered.]
IT was said of Igimarasugsuk that he always lost his
wives in a very short time, and always as quickly
married again ; but nobody knew that he always killed
and ate his wives, as well as his little children. At last
he married a girl who had a younger brother, and many
relatives besides. Entering the house on his return from
a reindeer-hunt, he one day said to his brother-in-law :
" Pray go and fetch me my axe — thou wilt find it lying
underneath the boat-pillars" (viz., pillars upon which
the boat is laid during the winter) ; and at the same time
Igimarasugsuk got up and followed him. On hearing
the shrieks of her brother, the wife of Igimarasugsuk
peeped out, and beheld him pursuing the former, and
shortly after striking him on the head, so that he fell
down dead on the spot. After this he ordered his wife
to dress and boil some parts of the body of her brother.
Igimarasugsuk now commenced eating, and offered a
piece of an arm to his wife, insisting upon her eating
with him ; but she only feigned to do so, and concealed
her portion under the ashes of the fire. Then the hus-
band exclaimed, " I actually think thou art crying ! "
" No," she said ; " I am only a little shy." After having
devoured his brother-in-law, the husband now began to
fatten his wife ; and to this end ordered her to eat nothing
but reindeer-tallow, and only drink as much as a small
shell would hold. At last she grew so fat that she was
not able to move about at all. One day he went away,
after having securely shut the entrance to the summer-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. lO/
tent, fastening it with strong cords. When he had
been gone a considerable time she took her knife, let her-
self fall down from the bench, and rolled herself as far
as to the entry. By great efforts she crossed the thresh-
old, and was now in the fore-room, where she cut the
strings fastening the outer curtain. She then rolled her-
self down to a muddy pool and drank a great deal of
water ; after which she felt less heavy, and was able to
get up and walk back. She re-entered the tent, stuffed
out her jacket, put it on the bench with its back turned
outward ; and fastening the entrance well, she went away.
But being convinced that her husband would shortly
pursue her, she took her way down to a very large piece
of drift-wood that had been hauled ashore, and she then
worked a spell upon it, singing thus : " luBsugssuaJi pin-
geraraaK, ia-ha-ha, arape, JLupe, Bipe, sipe sisaria." And
forthwith the timber opened midways, and she entered
it, again singing, *' JdasugssuaK arape, mamOy
mamesisaria.'' Then it closed around her, leaving her
in darkness. In the meantime she heard her husband
coming on towards the spot. He had entered the tent,
and seeing the stuffed jacket, he thrust his lance into it ;
but on discovering what it really was, he ran out, and
following the footprints of his wife all the way to the
timber, he stopped there, and she plainly heard him say :
" Oh what a pity I waited so long in killing her! oh poor
miserable me ! " Then she heard him turn away and
return several times ; but every trace ending at the large
timber, he at last went away, and she again sang Kissug-
ssoaKy &c &c., and instantly the drift-wood opening,
she crept out and ran farther on. But lest he should
overtake and discover her, she hid herself in a fox-hole.
Every trace again ending here, she heard him digging
the very earth with his hands ; but he soon grew tired,
and went away, returning and again going away as
before, bemoaning himself in the same manner: "Oh
what a pity, poor miserable man that I am ! " &c. &c.
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I08 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Perceiving him to be gone, she again set off on her jour-
ney. Still, however, fearing him, she next took refuge
behind some bushes. Again she heard him come and
repeat his old lament : " What a pity I put off eating
her so long ! " and again going away, he immediately
returned, saying, " Here every trace of her ends." Pro-
ceeding on her way, she now had a faint hope of reach-
ing some inhabited place ere he could get up with her
again. At length she caught sight of some people
gathering berries in the country ; but on perceiving her
they were on the point of taking fright, when she cried
out, " I am the wife of Igimarasugsuk." They now ap-
proached her, and taking hold of her hands, brought her
to their home. Having arrived there she said : ** Igim-
arasugsuk, who has the habit of eating his wives, has
also eaten his brother-in-law ; and if he really wants to
get hold of me too, he will be sure to come and fetch me ;
and as he is very fond of entertainment, ye had better
treat him civilly and politely." Soon after, he arrived ;
but she hid herself behind a skin curtain. . The rest rose
up and went out to welcome him, saying : " We trust thy
people at home are quite well." " Yes, they are very
well indeed," he answered. When he had entered they
served a meal before him, and afterwards offered him a
drum, saying, " Now let us have a little of thy perform-
ance." He took hold of the drum, but soon returned
it to one of the others, saying, " Ye ought rather to en-
tertain me ; " and the other man, seizing the drum, be-
gan to sing : " Igimarasugsuk — the cruel man — who ate
his wives." ... At these words Igimarasugsuk
blushed all over his face and dowp his throat ; but when
the singer continued, " and she was forced to eat of her
own brother's arm," the wife came forward, saying,
" No, indeed, I did not ; I concealed my share beneath
the ashes." They now caught hold of him, and the wife
killed him with a lance, saying, " Dost thou remember
thrusting thy lance into my stuffed jacket ? "
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. IO9
4.
KUMAGDLAT AND ASALOK.
[This story, also well known in all parts of Greenland, has been derived
from five copies, written in different parts of that country. Unlike the
preceding tales, it exhibits a more historical appearance, apparently
referring to certain occurrences which must have taken place during the
stay of the primeval Eskimo on the shores^ of the American continent,
and have been repeated until our day. It indicates the first appear-
ances of culture in attempts to provide tools or weapons from sea- ""
shells, stones, and metal, as well as conflicts and meetings of the Eski-
mo with the Indians, which in recent times have still taken place on
the banks of the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers. ]
THREE cousins named Kumagdiat, Asalok, and
Merak were very fond of one another. Kumag-?
diat occupied a house by himself, and had his own boat.^^
The other two kept a house and a boat in partnership; but
they all assisted each other early and late, and amused
themselves in exercising and exhibiting their mutual
strength. When they went out kayaking, they always
accompanied each other in a friendly and amicable
manner, and were on the whole much attached to one
another. Kumagdlat had an old crone living with him,
and she used to be very cross-tempered ; and one day
he accosted her as follows : " I won't have cross old
women living in my house, and I shall certainly put
thee to death some day or other." The old hag now
behaved peacefully and quietly, until one day she ex-
claimed : " I can tell thee, it is not without reason that
I am so quiet and low-spirited ; from the first day thou
began to maintain and support me I have been very
sorry for thee, and this has made me silent and down-
hearted." ** How so } " asked Kumagdlat ; and she an-
swered : " Is it not that thy cousins love thee so very
^ Ti-m-iA-K-, the larger skin-boat, fit for one to. three families travelling
with their tents, and all the other necessaries, for the summer season.
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no TALES AND TRADITIONS.
dearly ? Nevertheless they now intend to put an end
to thy life." However, she had invented this lie, being
so ill-natured and resentful that she could not even sleep
at night. But from that time Kumagdlat began to fear
his cousins ; and though he never used to be parted from
them all day long, he now began to shun them. One
day in the spring they entered his house, saying, " Art
thou not going out in thy kayak to-day } " But he an-
swered, " No, I can't go ; I must leave my kayak time
to dry," — ^and accordingly they set out without him. In
their absence he dug up his tent-poles from the snow,
and had just finished when they returned. Next morn-
ing they again entered with the same question, but he
answered as before : " No, I must have my kayak per-
fectly dry before I can use it." They would have liked
him to go with them ; but as he would not be persuaded,
they again went out by themselves. As soon as they
were out of sight he prepared everything for leaving his
old quarters : he had his boat put in the water, and as
soon as it was loaded he pushed off; but at parting he said
to the people on shore : *' Tell them to follow as soon as
possible ; we intend to go out to sea to our usual reserves "
(depots for provisions) : and so saying, he started. Asalok
and Merak at last returned, and when they discovered
that Kumagdlat was gone, they made inquiries, and re-
ceived the answer, " They have newly departed, and left
word that they intended to go out seaward to their
usual reserves, and that they wanted you to follow them
as soon as possible." They at once determined to do
so ; and early the next morning the boat was put right,
loaded, and away they went, taking the usual direction :
but they did not find him, nor any marks or traces of
him along the shore. It is said that Kumagdlat had the
skull of a seal for an amulet, and that now every time
when he had to pass inhabited places he fixed his amu-
let on the prow of his boat, that the people of the places
might think it to be nothing but a spotted seal diving
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up and down. But in one of the settlements he thus
passed there happened to be a fool, who (fools or natu-
rals being considered as clairvoyants) always had a pre-
sentiment of whatever was to take place, and being
aware of the boat passing by, he cried out, " A boat ! a
boat ! " But when the others went out to look for it,
they could only see a spotted seal diving up and down,
and after a while totally disappearing. When Asalok
with his company came to this place and heard these
news, they knew that Kumagdlat must have passed by,
because they knew of his having such an amulet. Mean-
time Kumagdlat travelled on night and day without
going ashore ; when the rowing^girls got too tired, they
only made fast the boat a short time to take rest, and
then continuing their voyage, until they at last stopped
at a well-peopled place, where they resolved to take up
their quarters. In this place they met with a very old
man busily employed in making a boat His hair was
as white as the side of an iceberg, and beside him stood
a bearded young man. Some time after the arrival of
Kumagdlat, the old man said to him, "Before this
young man here was born I commenced building that
boat, and by this time I have only just finished the hull."
But right and left heaps of shells were seen piled to-
gether, these being the only tools he had had to work
with. " Here we have not got so much as a single knife,"
rejoined the old man ; " but yonder, in the interior of the
country, live people who have knives in abundance."
And when Kumagdlat went on asking, he continued,
" Farther inland numerous erkileks ^ have their abodes,
and they are immensely rich. However, when any of the
coast people go there they never return, being mostly
* A sort of fabulous beings — half men, half beasts. All sorts of inlanders
in the Greenlandish tales represent fabulous or supernatural beings. The
most common kind, and probably the inlanders in general, are called tomit
{gl[t[T2X a( fumk), which is what in the following pages we have translated
by inlanders. , „ i^^,
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112 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
killed, I suppose." Kumagdlat now said, " I have a
great mind to go out in search of them myself;" but the
old man replied, " I am afeared thou wilt not be able to
do aught by thyself, as even several of our people going
together have always been put to death. The erkileks
are rare people, and neither to be matched in swiftness
nor agility." But Kumagdlat returned to his tent and
set about making a smill bow and arrows — ^the quiver
he formed out of seai-skin ; and having finished these, he
started on his journey to the erkileks, all by himself.
When, meanwhile, the brothers Asalok and Merak
likewise had wandered about the country for a long
time, they at length discovered an extensive plain below
them, where the erkileks lived in many tents, and only
had a lake for their sea. They now hid themselves,
awaiting the fall of night, and watching the return of the
erkileks from their day's hunting. Beneath the rays
of the setting sun they espied a very tall man carry-
ing a burden on his back. They were just in the act
of discharging their arrows at him, when both ex-
claimed, " Why, is not that man like Kumagdlat f " and
when he answered, " Yes, so it is," they said to each
other, " Well, since we have so happily met, one of the
hateful erkileks shall fall." Having thus again met and
recognised each other, Kumagdlat told his cousins how
the old hag had calumniated them to him. When it
had grown quite dark, and all was silent in the camp of
the erkileks, the cousins rose up and first set out in
search of some place of security for themselves. At the
further side of the lake the erkileks had pitched their
tents, and right opposite was a small island, which
they fixed upon as a place of refuge. On arriving
at the spot they observed that the distance of the island
might be about a stone's-throw. Kumagdlat, with the
burden on his back, was the first to venture the leap, and
succeeded in gaining the island ; Asalok, too, reached
the opposite shore; but Merak exclaimed, " I really can-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. II3
not do it." When, however, the others prevailed upon
him to try the leap, he, too, reached the island, though
not without touching the water in crossing. In this
place they now deposited their arrows, each providing
himself with only two, after which they returned to the
mainland, Merak, as before, almost touching the water.
They now advanced towards the tents, where the in-
mates had all retired to rest, f Having reached the
largest, Kumagdlat said to his companions, " I'll jump
up on the cross-beam above the entrance, while ye pass
through the fore-room." Having passed the entrance,
and peeping through the skin curtain of the main room,
they beheld an old married couple inside, who were still
awake. The woman, who was in the family way, was
sitting upright, whilst the man was leaning forward, rest-
ing his head on his hands. All of a sudden the man
gave a howl like a dog, at which the woman arose to
her feet He then commenced licking her belly, and
she handed him some reindeer-tallow. Kumagdlat now
said, " Next time he begins to lick her, I'll take aina and
shoot her." When the old man had finished eating he
gave a howl as before, and the woman again got up ; but
just as he was jn the act of licking her, Kumagdlat shot
her right through the body. A fearful yell was now
heard, and Kumagdlat jumping quickly down, they all
hurried across to their hiding-place, while the erkileks
in g^eat crowds issued out of their tents. The cousins,
meantime, reached the island in the same manner as
before. Having safely arrived there, they at once lay
down in a row on the ground, each behind the other,
Kumagdlat in front, then Asalok, and Merak hindmost.
The erkileks began to arm and discharge their arrows
at them, which they carried in quivers at their backs ;
but the women pulling out the arrows from above, were
enabled to discharge them much quicker than the men,
who pulled them out sideways. While the cousins were
watching the archers on shore, always diving down be-
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114 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
fore their arrows, they noted one whistling through the
air, and having slightly touched the two, they heard it
strike behind them ; and looking round, they saw that
Merak had been dangerously hit in the throat through
venturing to raise his head. Then Asalok said to Ku-
magdlat, " Dost not thou know any spell for restoring
life.?" He answered, "Yes, I believe I do;" where-
upon he began to murmur some words. When he had
finished, they looked round and observed that the arrow
had already gone half-way out of Merak's throat, and
when Kumagdlat spoke the third time, Merak was alive
and unhurt. The erkileks continued shooting ; but
when they had used up all their arrows, Kumagdlat had
only the skin of his temple grazed a little, and the
cousins now arose to pay them back with their bows.
When a great number of the erkileks had been shot,
they pursued the rest along a river, until they reached
a waterfall, where they had a hiding-place ; but there
Kumagdlat killed them all by throwing stones at them,
as they issued forth one by one. Afterwards the friends
returned to the tents, where the children had remained
immovable, and stunned with terror, feigning to be dead ;
but the cousins caught hold of them nevertheless, and
having pierced them through the ears, they quickly
killed them — only one boy and a girl being left alive.
They examined the furniture of the erkileks, and found
pots of copper, with copper handles to them, and no re-
quisites of any kind wanting. On opening the boxes,
the covers unlocked of themselves, because of the great
quantity of clothes they contained. These boxes
they again closed, but opened others containing knives
with beautiful handles, of which they took as many away
with them as they could possibly carry, and then again
made their way towards the coast. In the meantime
the people with whom Kumagdlat had. left his family
often used to mock them, saying, " Look ye, those who
go to the erkileks won't fail to bring back many fine
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. II5
things, such as beautiful knives, with pretty hafts to
them." On hearing this, Kumagdlat's wife would run
outside, believing her husband to be coming ; but they
only said so because they believed him to have been
killed. All old bachelor had taken her into his house
and provided for her, considering her to be a widow.
At the time when Kumagdlat was actually returning to
the coast, the people were again ridiculing his family,
crying out as before. But at the same moment the old
boat-builder turned round and beheld Kumagdlat de-
scending the hill, and carrying great loads on his back ;
and on his approach he discovered his burden to consist
of knives with beautiful hafts. On entering the tent
Kumagdlat found his mother and wife mourning his
absence, and he said, " I expected to have found you
with- the lamps extinguished " (viz., at the point of star-
vation). They made answer, *'The old bachelor has
provided for us, that we might not perish from hunger."
Kumagdlat rejoined, " Many thanks to him, then, and let
him come and choose himself a knife." But the old bach-
elor would not enter, but wanted the knife to be brought
to him ; whereupon Kumagdlat said, " Having such
great cause to be thankful towards him, I must have him
come in." But the old man, fearing some mischief (viz.,
suspecting jealousy), insisted on having the knife brought
out to him. Kumagdlat, however, continued calling
from within ; and now at last the old man just crossed
the threshold, saying, "Well, then, let me have the
knife : " but Kumagdlat still entreated him to come
further into the room ; and having at length made him
sit down, said, " Thou hast provided well for these poor
creatures ; I thank thee very much, and hope thou wilt
accept of these knives," and he offered him two with
beautiful handles. It is said that the cousins afterwards
returned to their old home, and that they grew very re-
nowned for their vigour and dexterity, and killed bears
as well as kilivfaks (fabulous beasts).
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Il6 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
5.
A K I G S I A K.
[Of this tale six different copies have been received. It seems in a very
remarkable way to refer to certain historical facts in regard to the
intercourse between the Indians and the Eskimo, and is in some
measure analogous to the folk-lore of several other nations, ascribing
certain great actions, especially such as the defeating of some monstrous
and dreadful animal, to one special hero. The text, however, is here
given in an abridged form, the story itself not being very interesting.]
IN days of yore it once happened that some people
went far into a firth to fish for salmon, and at the
time one of the women was carried off by an inlander,
and was taken by him to a very remote place. She be-
longed to the coast people, but afterwards married the
man who carried her off, and they begat a son, who was
named Akigsiak. In his boyhood two of his father's
nephews were his constant playfellows. They often
used to box and fight each other, but Akigsiak soon
outdid them completely; even in swiftness his friends
did not surpass him. As his mother belonged to the
coast people, while his father was from the interior of the
country, he was smaller of growth ; but notwithstanding,
he was respected and feared by the other inlanders, and
had a great reputation for strength and ability in hunt-
ing. Akigsiak used to seek intercourse with the coast
people in order to gain information concerning his
mother's relatives ; and at such a meeting he once told
them as follows : " When my father grew older he was
incapable of providing for us. One winter we had a great
famine, and every day I went out in search of provi-
sions ; and meanwhile my father watched me from the
tops of the highest mountains, at the same time taking
note of any change in the weather, and as soon as the
sky darkened he made me a signal that I could hear far
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. II7
and wide, after which I took my way homewards. He
also gave me several instructions, and said I might go ^^^
an3nvhere excepting to the north, because of a mon-
strous reptile that was reported to ravage those parts.
One day my father gave me the signal ; but not even
having had a chance of killing any game, I did not obey
his call. Afterwards, when I was going to return home,
the storm overtook me, and I could hardly see anything
on account of the wind and the snow-drifts, and conse-
quently lost my way. Wandering about in this manner,
I at length discovered something that appeared to me
like two large windows of a house ; then I saw that the
other parts were like a hill ; and finally I saw that this
was the terrible reptile against which my father had
warned me. I at once took to flight However, he had
already seen me, and pursued me ; but whenever he
came up I leapt across him, and striking him with my
lance, I continued running. At last, however, turning
round to look for him, and noticing that he was quite
close upon me, I cried aloud with fatigue, and falling to
the ground, I lost my senses. I was soon awakened by
a cool touch upon my face, and at once remembered the
monster reptile. Looking about for him, I beheld him
l)nng close to my feet With my eyes constantly fixed
upon him, I very cautiously crept away ; and as he did
not even move, I rose to my feet and walked on : but I
did not reach my home until the fourth day, and had
been given up for lost On entering the house my
father said, * Our housemates have got nothing to help
thee with.' But I told him that I had barely escaped
from the reptile, and that apparently I had left him
dead ; and then my father said, * The body of the rep-
tile is said to consist of nothing but fat ; ' and he added,
' our house-fellows are almost starving.* These were now
informed of what had happened, and they went out in
search of the monster ; but many of them died before
they reached the spot— some just outside their houses
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others farther away, till the whole road was covered
with dead bodies. But those who reached the reptile
flensed away at him, and found him to consist principally
of fat, mixed with a little lean flesh. They afterwards
had it for food the whole winter." This was Akigsiak's
report at his first meeting with the coast people.
The next time he told how he had once been away
on an excursion with his father, and that on approach-
ing the sea-shore they observed a whale close outside,
and a number of coast people standing on the beach.
By his father's orders he ran down and made an old
man teach him a magic lay for luring the whale up the
river. As soon as the whale had entered the river a
crowd of inlanders appeared ; but before they had been
able to penetrate the skin of the whale with their har-
poons, Akigsiak ran off home in order to fetch his
weapons. Though he had to round three large bays on
his way, he was still in good time to despatch the whale
after his return, and then proceeded to give everybody
his share of it, not forgetting the old coast man, whom
he protected against the inlanders. At the third meet-
ing he went on to tell how, having once heard that some
other inlanders had caught an immense fish the shape
of a salmon, he hurried down to the river-side and
threw his harpoon also into the fish, but that his com-
panions being too few, the other inlanders stationed on
the opposite side succeeded in hauling it from them.
He then hastened on to a place where the river was
somewhat narrower, and in jumping across hurled him-
self round, head over heels, before he alighted on his
feet at the opposite shore. There he soon frightened
away the other inlanders, took his share of the fish —
which he threw across to his own people on the other
side — and then jumped back in the same way he had
come. At his fourth meeting with the coast people,
Akigsiak told them about a quarrel he once had with
an igalilik (viz., " pot-bearer/' certain fabulous inlanders
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. II9
carrying boiling pots on their shoulders), whom he had
pushed down a precipice, crushing him to death against
the rocks. At last, Akigsiak met with an inorusek
(another kind of gigantic inlanders) on the high banks
of a river. While they were amusing themselves with
throwing stones, the inorusek persuaded him to try to
hit a kayaker just passing by below, whom he did not
fail to kill on the spot. Akigsiak, repenting himself of
his deed, afterwards slew the inorusek, but is said never
from this time to have ventured himself among the coast
people again, because of the murder he had committed.
Only once, they say, did he go to visit a certain coast
man, who lived on the banks of a river, in order to try
a boxing-match and a race with him. Although he was
said to be a smaller man than the other inlanders, he
was. at all events larger than our people ; his back was
as broad as that of two others put together, and his
height very little less than two people on top of each
other.
6.
THE FRIENDS.
[This is a very famous Greenland story, and is, in its present form,
compiled from three copies.]
TWO friends loved each other very dearly. From
childhood they had been constant companions.
One lived at one of the outermost islands, and the other
had his abode far up, at the head of a fiord. They very
often visited each other, and when they had been parted
for some days, they felt a mutual longing to meet again.
-In the summer the man from the fiord used to go out
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120 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
reindeer-hunting in the interior; but before he went back
to the place where he lived, he always took a whole
reindeer, choosing one of those with velvety horns and
leaving all the tallow in it, to regale his friend with.
The islander, on his part, saved and laid by large quan-
tities of seals : and when the reindeer-hunter returned,
he immediately visited his friend and was regaled with
nicely-dried seal-flesh; but in the evening, when the
room grew heated, the frozen meat was produced and
set before his friend as a cold dish. The guest then
praised it very much, and they gossiped till late in the
evening. The next day the reindeer-hunter usually had
a visit from his friend, but now they only ate reindeer-
flesh, and especially the tallow. The friend found it
extremely delicious, and ate till he was ready to burst ;
and at his departure next day he was presented with
some dried meat and tallow.
One autumn the hunter lingered in the interior longer
than usual. At length the earth was quite frozen over,
and still he did not return. At first the friend longed
very much for him, but after a while he g^ew angry with
him ; and when the first of the preserved seals began to
spoil, they commenced to eat away at the whole lot
Later on, when he heard that the hunter had returned, he
went out to a grave and cut a bit of fat from a dead body,
and with this he rubbed certain parts of a seal he in-
tended to treat his friend with, in order to do him an
evil turn on his arrival. Shortly afterwards he canie to
pay his visit. The meeting was very pleasant, and as
usual he was regaled with various delicacies; and the
hunter now told that he had had small luck in getting
the reindeer with velvety horns, and this was the reason
why he had stayed away so long; and his friend answered,
"I was expecting thee very anxiously for some time, but
when my first preserved seals began to rot, we ate them
all up ; " and he added, ** let us have the one that was
last put by ; we will have it for a cold dish." It was
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 121
accordingly brought in and nicely served up, and the
host laid the piece that had been rubbed over with the
bit of fat uppermost, and set it before his friend, at the
same time begging him to partake of it ; but just as the
visitor was in the act of helping himself to a piece, some-
thing from beneath the ledge gave a pull at his leg.
This somewhat puzzled him ; however, he was going to
commence a second time when he got another pull, on
which he said, " I must go outside a little," and rose up
at the same time and went. Being an angakok, the voice
of his tomak (guardian-spirit) now warned him, saying,
** Thy friend regales thee with a base design ; turn the
piece over when thou goest back and eat of the opposite
part ; if thou eatest of the part that is now uppermost
thou wilt be sure to go mad." Having again seated
himself, he turned the meat over ; but his host thought
it might be a mere accident. When the guest had eaten
sufficiently, he felt a pain in his stomach — ^he had pro-
bably touched some of the poisoned flesh ; but he soon
recovered, and on taking leave, he asked his friend to
return the visit soon. When he came home he took a
reindeer with velvety horns and treated it in the same
manner as his friend had done the seal — rubbing it well
with some fat from a dead body ; and when his guest
came, he instantly regaled him with dried meat and
tallow, and never before had the visitor found it so much
to his taste. At night the reindeer was set before them
with the poisoned side turned up, and putting the knife
into it, he said, " There, we have got some cold meat ;
I have kept it for thee this long while." The friend ate
away at it, and several times exclaimed, " This is really
delicious ! " and the host answered, " Yes, that is because
it is so very fat." When the meal was over, the guest
felt a pain in his stomach, and, looking hard at every one
present, he got up and went outside, but the pains were
not relieved. Next day he took his leave, and it was a
long time before his friend saw him again; when he
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122 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
went out kayaking he never met him as he had done
formerly. At length, when the ice began to cover the
waters, a boat was seen to put into the firth from the
sea, and was recognised as being the boat of the friend ;
but finding that he himself was not of the party, he
asked, "Where is your master?" "He is ill, and has
turned raving mad ; he wanted to eat us, and therefore
we all took flight." On the very next day the huntsman
went out to visit his friend. Nobody was to be seen
about the house ; but, creeping through the entry and
looking over the threshold, he beheld his friend lying on
his back, with eyes staring wildly, and his head hanging
over the edge of the couch. He went up to him and
asked him how he did, but no answer was given. After
a short silence he suddenly started up and shouted with
all his might, " Because thou hast feasted me basely, I
have eaten up all the inmates of my hou^e, and I will now
devour thee too " — and he bounded towards him ; but
the other escaped through the entry, and quickly made
for his kayak. He only succeeded in pushing off as his
pursuer was in the very act of seizing hold of him. The
madman now continued running along the shore and cry-
ing, " I feel much better now ; do come back. When I
have not seen thee for a day or two, I am longing dread-
fully for thee." On hearing him speak quite sensibly the
friend believed him, and put back again. As soon as he
reached the shore, however, the former made a rush at
him ; but, happily observing this, he pushed off in time.
At home he never spoke nor ate from grief for his friend,
and his housemates thought him much altered. Towards
night he commenced talking to them of his own accord,
and told them how he had fared ; but the others advised
him never to return any more, being sure the madman
would eat him too, if he had the chance. Nevertheless, he
paddled away the very next morning as if compelled to
do so. Then it all happened just as on the former day.
The madman pursued him right into the house, and
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 23
fastened the door, so that he was obliged to get out
through the window, and he barely escaped to his kayak.
The day after, they again tried to detain him; but he was
bent upon going. He entered his friend's house and
found him worse than before : this time he was lying
with his head on the floor and his heels resting on the
edge of the bench; his eyes were far protruded and
staryig wildly, and the bone of his nose as sharp as a
knife's edge. On approaching him he started up and
pursued his former friend round the room, always crying,
" I am starving ; I must have thee for food." At last
the friend succeeded in jumping out of the window,
and reached his kayak ; but no sooner had he got clear
of the shore than he saw the madman walking on the
surface of the water, ready to sieze hold of the prow
of his kayak. He now began swinging to and fro in
his kayak, and by this means ripples were formed, so
that the madman could not steady himself, but was
very nearly falling. Thus he once more escaped him.
The day after, his housemates again wanted to detain
him, but he answered them, "When I have not seen
my friend for a whole day, I am ready to die with
longing, and cannot desist from going to him." Having
arrived at the house of his friend, he found it to be
deserted ; he searched about everywhere, but did not
find him. Outside he observed some footprints wind-
ing up hills, and following them, he stopped at a cave in
the rock. Here his friend was sitting bent together and
much shrunk. As he did not move his friend went up
to him, and on trying to lift him up, found him to be
quite dead, and his eyelids filled with blood. He now
carefully covered and closed up the entrance of the cave,
and was henceforth friendless.
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124 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
7.
KATERPARSUK.
[This is also very commonly known all over Greenland, and the subjoined
version is constructed from five manuscripts.]
KATERPARSUK was a poor orphan boy. When
he grew up he was anxious to get on in the
world, because nobody wanted to take care of him and
help him along. At length he resolved, by his own efforts,
to try to make himself a kayak ; but, nobody being wil-
ling to lend him a knife, he first tried to work with stone
tools, and later on with shells. In the same place there
happened to live a wicked man, who, instead of pitying
the poor boy, took delight in annoying and terrifying
him. For this purpose he disguised himself in a bear-
skin, and stole up behind Katerparsuk, growling like a
bear. On turning round and perceiving him, Katerpar-
suk Rung down his work and tools in consternation, and
ran away. When the other house-fellows came to the
spot and saw his implements of shells and stones, they
were quite moved at the sight Meanwhile the wicked
man came forward and said to Katerparsuk, " Instead
of pitying thee I scorned thee ; because thou, silly boy,
couldst ever think of making a kayak all by thyself:
and that was why I frightened thee in a bear-skin." On
hearing this his housemates broke out into a fit of
laughter at the poor boy's embarrassment ; but he grew
mortally vexed, and only thought of revenge and re-
sentment Subsequently he betook himself to solitary
places, and studied angakok science. After a long time
he finished his kayak, and exercised himself in rowing
and hunting, and shortly afterwards he was even able to
hunt seals. Having once, from the top of a hill, seen a
walrus dive, he thought, "Oh that I could make him
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 25
throw off his skin ! " He began to sing a magic lay, but
without any result. Very much dissatisfied, he went
home, but did not rest till he had got up an incantation
that would suit his purpose. He tried the effect of it on
a hare, and as it proved successful, he more than ever
contemplated revenge. One day, when all the hunters
were away in their kayaks, he likewise betook himself
to his oar, and rowed out to a remote place. There he
landed, and having ascended a very high hill, whence
he had a view of the sea, he detected a great many
walrus diving up and down. He began to sing his
magic lay to one of them, which soon approached the
beach right below him ; he continued singing louder and
louder until the animal at last threw off his skin. Kater-
parsuk ^t once crept into it, and began to try swimming
and diving, and when the kayakers approached, he knew
how to harden his skin so that the harpoon could not
pierce it Meanwhile the wicked man had grown old and
decrepit, and had given up seal-hunting ; he now only
went out fishing. Once Katerparsuk put on his walrus-
skin and emerged from the water close to the place
where the old man was fishing. He then heard him
exclaim, " Oh that I were young again, what a catch I
might have had!" Meantime he returned home, col-
lected all his hunting implements, which he had not been
using for a long time, and took them out with him to
his fishing-place the next day. " Oh, look ! there he is
again ! " the old man exclaimed, upon which he paddled
towards him : but Katerparsuk hardened his skin, and
made it tough ; and seizing the point of the harpoon,
pulled it down into the water along with the hunting-
bladder, from which he took away the stopper, so that
the air escaped, and then he hurried home in his kayak.
But the old man was vexed that he had lost his bladder-
float; and at home he said, boasting, " I have again com-
menced to go out hunting ; to-day I pursued a large
walrus, but he escaped me, and took my bladder-float
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126 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
along with him." Katerparsuk let him chat on, but in the
evening he invited all the men to come and have a feast
with him, and the old man was of the party. After the
meal he once more began to talk of his chase and of the
loss he had sustained. Before their arrival, Katerparsuk
had hung up the bladder-float alongwith the harpoon-line
on a peg in the wall ; and while the old man was prating,
he pointed to them, saying, "Look, there are all thy
hunting tools, and thou canst take them away with
thee when thou goest home." And the old man looked
quite abashed, and left the party in a somewhat con-
fused state. It is said that the resentment of Kater-
parsuk was somewhat appeased by the fun he had had
in playing walrus to the man who had been playing
bear to him.
8.
A TALE ABOUT TWO GIRLS.
[The text is constructed from two manuscripts, one from Labrador and
the other written down in Greenland, anterior to 1828.]
TWO little girls were playing with some small bones
on the beach ; the one with eagle-bones, the other
with whale-bones. Suddenly an eagle came soaring
through the air above them, and one of the girls said,
" I will have an eagle for my husband ; " and the other
replied, " Thou mayst rejoice that thou hast already got
a husband ; I will have a whale for mine." Instantly a
whale was seen to spout out at sea. And the eagle took
one girl up and flew away with her, and the whale took
the other down to the bottom of the sea, having first
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 12/
made her eyes and ears impenetrable, so that the water
could not enter. The eagle carried his bride to the top of
a steep cliff, and brought her different sorts of little birds
for food ; but she gathered all the sinews of the birds'
wings, and knotted them together, in order to make a
string of them. One day, when the eagle was away, she
tried the length of it, and found that it reached down to
the level of the sea. Another day she saw a kayaker
rowing along the shore ; and when he came just below,
she called out to him to send a boat to rescue her. Soon
afterwards the boat appeared, and she went sliding down
by her string of sinews, and got back to her parents.
But the eagle, who missed his mate, soared above the
houses beating his wings ; and one of the inhabitants of
the place cried out to him, " If thou wantest to show
thou hast been married into our family, spread out thy
wings;" but when the eagle did so they shot him
through the body. The other girl who had been stolen o
by the whale was secured to the bottom of the sea by a
rope ; and when he was at home, she had nothing to do
but to sit picking the lice ^ from off his body. She had
two brothers living close by, and both set about building
a boat of immense swiftness, in which they intended to
deliver their sister ; but when the boat was finished it
could not match a bird in speed, and was therefore
broken to pieces, and another begun. This boat proved
a match for a flying bird, but was nevertheless dis-
carded, and they again built a new one, in which they
tried to overtake a gull ; and on finding that this one
even outdid the bird, they started from home to fetch
back their sister. On becoming aware of their approach
she loosened the cord that held her, and twisting it
round the stone, she left with the boat. When the whale
on his return drew the cord to get hold of her, and dis-
covered that she was gone, he hurried after her. But
* Cyamus cetiy a parasitic crustacean, well known as the "whale louse."
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128 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
when he came quite close to the boat she threw her
outer jacket into the water to him. Having snapped at
it he let it go, and again pursued her ; and when he had
got quite close up with them, she flung her inner jacket
at him, which again detained the whale : but he soon
reached them for the third time. Then she threw her
long jacket, and before he could overtake them again
they had already landed ; but when the whale reached
the shore he was transformed into a piece of whalebone.
^
9.
THE BROTHERS VISIT THEIR SISTER-
[This tale is very popular in Greenland. Traces of it are also found mixed
up with other tales from Greenland, and with one from Labrador.
Here the text is very nearly a literal translation from a single manu-
script, by a native of South Greenland.]
A MAN had three children ; the eldest was a daugh-
ter. She married a man from a far-away place
in the south while her brothers were still little children.
In their boyhood they were not aware of their having a
sister, because their father purposely never mentioned it
to them. At last they had become quite grown up, and
began to catch seals, and still they had never heard of
their sister, until one day the mother said, " I think ye
don't even know that ye have got a sister ! " Upon which
they immediately began asking about her place of abode ;
to which the mother replied, " Look there ; do you see
the high mountains yonder to the south of us ? Beyond
these is the winter station of your sister, whose hair,
strange to say, is quite white on one side. However, ye
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 29
must not think of going there, for the people she is living
among are all cannibals.'* On hearing this the eldest
brother changed his mind, and gave up the idea of going ;
but the younger one still longed as much as before to
see his sister. The mother tried to dissuade him, but he
wanted to go more than ever. The following day the
brothers s^t out on their journey, but the parents warned
them, saying, " If ye reach the country yonder in the
day-time ye must wait the fall of night, and not go near
them until they are all asleep/ lest ye should be mur-
dered by them." And when they had gone away the
parents gave them up for lost. The travellers reached
the high mountains in the south, and began to examine
the land below, in order to discover houses. At length
the eldest brother said, " When people are found to be
living at the foot of the mountains, the ravens will be
sure to be soaring in the air above." At last they
observed a craggy hill, above which a great number of
ravens were flying. The brothers now turned away
from the frozen sea and made for the shore, where they
at length secured their sledges, and waited the fall of
night But when it had become quite dark, and when
they supposed the inhabitants to have gone to bed, they
again drew nearer. They were now in sight of m^ny
houses, the first of which had three windows ; and having
gone close up to it, they cautiously mounted the roof
and looked down the vent-hole, and saw a nasty-looking
man sitting in front of the lamp beside his wife, who
seemed in the act of picking the lice off him,, and who
appeared to be; quite white on one side of her head.'
The eldest brother now got up and said, " Were we not
told that our sister was to be white-haired on one side
of her head ? do come and see ! " The younger brother
now looked down, and perceiving her, exclaimed in great
consternation, " Why, that must surely be our sister sit-
ting down there ! Just spit down through the hole, before
the lamp, and when they notice that, some one will pro-
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130 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
bably come out" The moment he spat down, the
woman gave the man a push, and said, "Somebody-
must have come from afar to see us ; do make haste
and get up ! " On which he instantly rose, took up his
bow, and went outside. When they saw him emerge
from the house-passage, carrying the bow ready bent
in his hand, the eldest brother accosted him before he
had set eyes upon them, saying, " We have come here
to visit our sister, and have been told that she is quite
white on one side of her head." The other answered
him in a whisper, " Your sister is within ; please go in.'*
On entering he at once played the part of a brother-in-
law to them, and ordered a meal to be prepared. The
wife put on her boots, and told some of the children to
assist her ; and the guests soon understood that the only
housemates of their sister were her children. The beams
for boot-drying were hung all over with boots and skin-
stockings, according to their several sizes, the biggest
outermost. Sometime afterwards a large tub of berries
mingled with blubber was set before them, and their
sister asked them to partake of the meal. The brothers
were almost beginning to feel at ease, and were just
going to help themselves, when suddenly, in the bottom
of the tub, they caught sight of a human hand, cut off
at the wrist, clutching the berries, and very much shrunk.
They merely said, " We don't eat such food as this ; "
but she only drew the tub closer to herself, and began
to eat along with the children. When she took hold of
the hand, and had taken a bite of the thumb, the chil-
dren all cried, " Mother, do let us have some too ! " The
eldest brother now got up, and went close beside her,
saying, " Hast thou also turned cannibal ? " and giving
her husband a pull, she answered, " This nasty fellow
has made me one." Meanwhile the brother-in-law or-
dered something separate to be cooked for them on the
lamp, but cautiously added, " Mind ye don't let it bum
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I3I
too high, lest our neighbours should detect us, and make
a row about it." Suspending the pot above the lamp,
and at the same time addressing her brothers, his wife
now put in, " When our people caught a whale last win-
ter, and it was brought ashore to be cut up and flensed,
a man happened to have a fall, and was cut up with it."
Before the meal was ready the host whispered to his chil-
dren, " Go out and cut asunder all the lashings of our
neighbours' sledges, but beware of making a noise." The
children all went out immediately, and when they came
back he inquired of them, " Have ye done as I told
ye to all of them ? " " Yes," they answered, " we have."
But still they had forgotten one of them. When the
meat was boiled, and they had commenced eating, the
host said, " As soon as ye have finished I shall accom-
pany you a little way off; but as soon as ye have left
the mainland I'll give a shout, and ye'll just see what
will happen." On their departure, after supper, he ad-
dressed them, saying, " Ye now know our place of abode ;
do come back and visit your sister." Upon which he
saw them off in their sledges, and away they fled ; but as
soon as they turned out upon the ice he gave a great
shout, and cried out aloud, " The visitors are setting off —
the visitors are going to leave ! " and when they looked
around, the place was black with people, crowding the
doorways and windows. Some had just caught hold of
their clothes, and others were quite naked, and in this
state they all hastened off to their, sledges ; but when
they were about to start, the sledges all broke down.
Meanwhile the travellers had taken fright, and urged on
their dogs as fast as possible ; but turning round they
perceived one sledge to be following them, and appar-
ently gaining upon them. The brother-in-law having
likewise observed it, hastened to pursue it, and killed
the driver, besides a number of the other people, and
afterwards filled his sledge with human limbs ; and thus
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132 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
freighted, he returned to his house. But the brothers
reached home late at night, and reported how their sis-
ter had turned a cannibal, and how they had barely-
escaped death through the aid of their brother-in-law.
But they never saw their sister again.
10.
KUNUK THE ORPHAN BOY.
[This tale seems to have its origin in historical facts, worked into a tale
at a later period. Some parts of it allude to the struggles with the
Indians, and the sudden attacks made by them on the Eskimo. Others
most probably refer to the wars between the Eskimo tribes themselves,
and to their distant migrations, by which they have peopled their wide
territories. Several passages of this story are still frequently mixed
up in different ways with other tales. The text has been constructed
from three copies, in most particulars agreeing with each other.]
SEVERAL men had their permanent winter-quar-
ters near the entrance to a fiord, and with them
lived two boys, who were very officious and obliging. In
the morning, when the men prepared to go out hunting,
the boys helped to turn and rub their gloves, and made
them ready for use, and likewise arranged the kayak
implements and tools, and fetched the water wpHheir^ii
morning drink. When the men had left, the boys ex-
ercised themselves in archery, and never entered the
house the whole day long, until the men had returned,
and they had assisted them in carrying their things from
the beach. They did not even think of entering and
partaking of their first meal till the last of the men
had gone in, and they had once more fetched water.
One evening in winter, by moonlight, when they had
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 33
gone out to draw water, the youngest said, " I think I
see a lot of faces down in the water ; '* and Kunuk, the
elder brother, replied, " Is it not the reflection of the
moon ? " " No, come and look for thyself ; " and Kunuk
looked into the water, and said, *' Thou art right, they
are getting at us ; " and presently he observed in the
water (viz., by way of clairvoyance) a host of armed
men advancing towards them. The boys now ran as
fast as possible and told everything to the people at
home, but they only answered, " It must have been the
moon that deceived you. Never mind, but run away and
fetch us some water ; the tub is empty." Off they went,
but saw the same things over again, and went back to
report it ; but still they were not believed. But when
they saw the armed men the third time advancing
quickly towards them, they deliberated what to do with
their little sister ; and when they had determined to go
and hide her, they entered the house and brought her
outside ; and seeing a heap of chips close to the window,
they put her down, and covered her well up with them.
Having done this, they went back and climbed the raf-
ters beneath the roof of the house-passage ; and in help-
ing his brother to get up, Kunuk warned him not to get
tired though he might find it an inconvenient place of
refuge : they were keeping hold of one beam with their
hands, and supported their feet against the next, and
thus -1^ at full length, with their faces turned down-
wards. Presently a large man with a spear made his
•^y tWibugh the entrance ; after him another one ap-
peared ; and all told, they counted seven, who came
rushing into the house. But as soon as they got inside
a fearful cry was heard from those who were put to
death by them. While they were still lingering inside
Kunuk's brother was losing strength, and was nearly
giving way, when the aggressors came storming out,
fighting about, right and left, and flinging their spears
everywhere, and likewise into the heap of chips, where
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
their little sister was lying. When the last of them had
disappeared the younger boy fell to the ground, and
Kunuk after him. When they came to look for their
sister they found her struck right through the body with
a lance, and with her entrails protruding ; and on enter-
ing the house the floor was all covered with blood, every
one of the inmates having been killed, besides one of the
assailants. Being quite alone in the dreary house they
would not stay, but left the place that very night, car-
rying their wounded sister by turns, and taking care that
the entrails did not come out of their proper place.
They wandered on for a long while in this manner, and
at length they arrived at a firth, which was quite frozen
over. There they went down on the ice, but on turning
round a steep promontory their little sister died, and
they buried her in a cave among the rocks. From the
beginning of their flight they exercised themselves in
boxing and in lifting large stones to strengthen their
limbs ; and they grew on, and had become strong and
vigorous men ere they again met with other people.
After a great lapse of time they one day noticed a man
standing on the ice beside a huge piece of wood, which he
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 35
had made use of in hunting the small seals. When they
approached and told him what had befallen them, he
said he would like to adopt them as his sons, and they
followed him to a house where he and his wife lived
all by themselves. Their foster-parents encouraged
them never to forget their enemies, but always to be
exercising themselves in order to strengthen their limbs.
One night the brothers came home laden with ptarmi-
gan and foxes, which they had caught without any wea-
pons at all, only by throwing large stones at them,
which made the old people rejoice very much, commend-
ing their dexterity and perseverance. To increase their
strength still farther, they lifted very large stones with
their hands only. They also practised boxing and wrest-
ling; and no matter how hard the one might be pressing
on the other, they made a point of never falling, but
rolling together along the ground. At last, with con-
stant practice, they had grown so dexterous that they
could even kill a bear without any weapon. At first they
gave him a blow, and when he turned upon them they
took no more notice of him than if he had been a hare,
but merely took hold of him by the legs and smashed
him to pieces. When these results had been gained,
they began to think of seeking out other people. Where ?
That was a matter of indifference. They now took a
northerly direction, and wandered on a long way with-
out falling in with any human being. At length they
came to a great inlet of the sea, where a number of
kayakers were out seal-hunting, but only one of them
seemed to be provided with weapons. This one was their
chief, or the " strong man " among them. He always
wanted to harpoon the animals himself which had been
hunted by the others — these had only to chase and
frighten them ; and if anybody dared to wound them, he
was sure to be punished by the chief in person ; but as
soon as the ** strong man " had pierced them with his
arrow, the others all helped to kill them. Kunuk and
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136 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
his brother were too modest to go down at once, and
awaited the approach of evening. Meanwhile they wit-
nessed the cutting up of a walrus, and saw it being
divided — each person getting a huge piece for himself,
excepting an old man, who lived in the poorest tent, who
got nothing but the entrails, which his two daughters
helped him to carry home from the beach. The bro-
thers agreed that they would go to the old man when it
had grown dark, because they had taken pity on him on
account of his patience. Having arrived at the tent,
Kunuk had to enter by himself, his brother being too
bashful to follow him. The old man now inquired of
him, "Art thou alone?" "No, my little brother is
standing outside ; he is ashamed to enter." On hearing
this, the old man cried, " Come in, thou who art standing
outside ; " and when he entered, he was astonished to
see his strong limbs, he being even bigger than his bro-
ther. When the meal was over the old man said he
would like to have them for his sons-in-law, and that
they might go and take his daughters for their wives.
Kunuk chose the youngest of them, and his brother
got the eldest ; and thus they got married. It is said
that while going down to the place, they first went to
have a look at the boats, and examined them closely ;
and that on seeing the weapons of the " strong man," they
had taken his javelin (or arrow to be flung only by
hand) away, with the intention of hiding it, so that the
others might get something to look for. They brought
it away to a spring, and a little way off they stuck it
down into the earth, but pulled it out again, trying an-
other place, where the turf was dry and hard. There
Kunuk fixed it so deep in the ground that only so
much of it as could be seized with two fingers was to be
seen. While they were lying down inside the tent, they
heard some one come running along, and partly lift the
curtain, but instantly drop it and go off again. It yiras
an old gossip, and mother to the " strong man," who had
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 13/
been doing this; and a moment later a multitude of
people gathered round the entrance of the tent, to get a
peep at the strangers. In the morning they heard the
chief crying out, " This is a fine day for a walrus-hunt ; "
upon which he was silent a while, and then said, " My
javelin has been taken away," which was repeated again
and again by many others. When Kunuk emerged
from the tent he saw several of the men coming out
rubbing their eyes, and saying, " I must surely have
slept too long ! " However, it was only out of reverence
for the " strong man " that they spoke thus. While they
were shouting, they heard the old gossip, who had been
away to fetch water, exclaim, " Look, yonder is the
javelin !" and at the same time she pointed to the rock
leading to the spring. All of them now rushed to the
spot, in order to pull it out of the earth, but nobody suc-
ceeded in doing it. The brothers were now called, and
were asked to draw it out They had all been pulling
and biting it with their teeth to get it loose, so that the
end had been quite wasted. But Kunuk just took it
between his two fingers, and disengaged it as if it were
a very small matter. On their way down to the shore
their father-in-law addressed them, and said, " Down
there, underneath the great boat, are the two kayaks of
my dead son. They are perfectly fitted up, and furnished
with weapons, and are quite easy to get at" These
things he now wanted to make over to his sons-in-law,
and he told them that the " strong man " had murdered
his son because he envied him his still greater strength ;
for this reason he was now the enemy of his daughters.
Hitherto, however, they had not been able to get their re-
venge. After a short interval the cry was heard, '* Let
the strangers come on for a boxing and fighting match
on the great plain up yonder ; " upon which all the men
made thither to behold the spectacle. The brothers fol-
lowed them ; and arriving at the place, they saw a pole
set up on end, and beside it the leader standing with a
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
whip made of walrus-skin, with a knot on the end. There
was also a stuffed white hare, and whenever anybody set
foot on it, he quickly lashed them with the whip. Ku-
nuk was the first who advanced towards the hare, and
the chief tried to hit him, but did not succeed in reach-
ing him. Soon after, Kunuk courageously put his foot
on the hare ; but the very moment the " strong man *'
lifted up his whip Kunuk stooped down and hardened
his limbs (by charm), and when the other smote him
the whip gave a loud crack. The " strong man " now
believed that he had killed Kunuk, who nevertheless
came away unhurt. When the crack of the thong was
heard, the " strong man '* ordered the younger brother
to step forward. He, however, cared less than Ku-
nuk : and after the first attempt the chief proposed that
he should take the whip for a change ; and giving it to
him, he went himself and put his foot on the hare.
Kunuk's brother now cried, " Look out and harden
thy body ! " but at the same time smote him, so that he
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 39
fell down dead on the spot. All his inferiors now re-
joiced greatly, and called out to the brothers, " Hence-
forth ye shall be our leaders ! " but they rejoined, " In
future ye shall have no masters, but hunt at liberty and
at your own will." The brothers now practised all man-
ner of feats belonging to kayaking and seal-hunting, and
procured themselves bladder- arrows^ — the bladders
being made out of one entire blown-up seal-skin. One
day they joined some other kayakers, and went in
pursuit of a very large she-walrus. Kunuk lanced it
four times at a greater distance than usual, and his
arrow went right through the animal, which, pant-
ing for breath, after a minute or two was quite dead.
When the others came on to give it the finishing stroke,
they found that the arrow had penetrated to the very
vent-holes of the bladder ; and they all rejoiced at his
great dexterity, and praised it highly. Ordinary seals
even grew quite stiff when his spear merely grazed them.
He once heard a report of a very giant, who lived south-
ward, and was named Ungilagtake.^ He had a huge
sword, and nobody was ever known to escape him ; even
the most valiant of men were vanquished and put to
death by him. On hearing this, the brothers immedi-
ately supposed him to have been among the strong
armed men who attacked their housemates at home,
when they themselves were still little children ; and they
at once determined to go and find him out, knowing
that they were now more capable of revenging them-
selves than they had been at that time. They left the
place in two boats, one of which belonged to the young-
est ; in this the mother of the " strong man " who had
been killed accompanied him. The other boat was Ku-
nuk's, and many kayaks went along with them to make
war against Ungilagtake. A pretty strong breeze from
^ Small harpoons with a bladder attached to the shaft, but without any
line, and principally used for small animals.
' Pron. Unghilagtakee.
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140 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the north had sprung up, and the boats hoisted their
sails, and the kayak-men amused themselves with throw-
ing their harpoons alongside the boats. It so happened
that Kunuk, in flinging the harpoon, hit the prow of the
boat, so that it rebounded into the water with a great
splash. On seeing this, the old hag chuckled, and went
on mocking and teasing the wife of Kunuk till she could
not help crying ; and Kunuk asked his brother, who
was in command of the boat, *' Why is my wife crying ? "
" Oh, that's on account of the arrow,'* he answered ; " she
is so mortified because the old woman laughed at thee."
Kunuk now purposely dropped astern a little, and hold-
ing his harpoon ready, suddenly pushed forward, and
flung it across the boat, so that it hit the hood of the
old woman's fur coat, while she sat rowing in the fore-
end of the boat, even tearing a piece out of it ; and this
trick he repeated once more. After a while, Kunuk's
brother turned his looks towards land, and recognised
the burial-place of their little sister. This made him very-
sad, and he asked for some one to relieve him at the
helm, he wanti|^ to go and sit down forward, where,
bent down, he^ent on sobbing, and vainly striving to
keep back his tears, while the water from the sea came
into the boat, which kept swinging and tossing from his
convulsions. He took ill from that very day, and died
before they reached their destination, so that Kunuk
came alone to Ungilagtake. It was in the depth of
winter, and they were met by many people on the ice.
A somewhat biggish man invited them to come and
put up at his house. This man likewise happened to be
an enemy of Ungilagtake ; and as soon as the guests had
entered, he told them that before the meal he would
show them how Ungilagtake used to behave to strangers.
He took an entire seal-skin, stuffed with sand, and
to the centre of which a strap was attached. Into this he
put his third finger, and carried it round the room, after
which he ordered his guest to do the same. Kunuk
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I4I
took hold of the strap with his little finger, lifted the
thing with unbent arm, and put it down without being
fatigued. The host then went on, " Now sit down oppo-
site to me, and I will throw a lance at thee, which, how-
ever, won't hurt thee ; " upon which he brought out a
lance and a drum, and began singing, while Kunuk
heard the others saying, " Bend thee down, stranger ! "
Kunuk at once complied, so that nothing but his chin
was visible ; and when his host threw the lance at him,
he lost his aim, merely observing, " This is the way of
Ungilagtake, who always hits the mark, and never fails.
Yet I don't know how thou wilt fare with him ; he will
hardly be able to molest thee. But then he has a com-
panion, called Tajangiarsuk, with a double back, being
as fat in front as behind, who is immensely strong, and
gives him a hand if there happen to be any one he can-
not master/' Whilst they were sitting down at the meal
a cry was heard without, " Ungilagtake invites the stran- ■
ger to his house ! " When Kunuk and his wife were
preparing to go, the host said, " Now make a bold en-
trance, or he will be sure to kill thee j^ once." The
visitors now went up to a large house with three win-
dows, which was occupied with Ungilagtake's numerous
wives — all of whom he had stolen. Kunuk was ordered
to sit down on the side bench, but his wife was brought
to a seat on the main ledge, and their former host placed
himself opposite her husband. Many other spectators
now entered ; but whenever a new visitor made his ap-
pearance, Kunuk asked his first host if that were Tajan-
giarsuk, until at last he too arrived. Refreshments, con-
sisting of various dishes, were now served before them ;
and when they had finished eating, Ungilagtake ordered
Kunuk to seat himself opposite to him, and presently
drew out a huge spear from beneath the bench, and
striking upon the drum, which had likewise been pro-
duced, the whole joined in a song for Kunuk, at the
same time crying out, " Bend thee down, stranger that
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142 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
has come among us ; the great Ungilagtake, who never
missed his aim, is going to thrust his spear at thee."
He bent down as before, so that only his chin appeared ;
but whilst Ungilagtake was taking aim at him, he nim-
bly gave a Jump, and caught hold of one of the roof-
beams, while the spear went far below him ; and when it
was flung at him the second time, he quickly jumped
down, and the spear came flying above him, amid great
cheers from the spectators. When Ungilagtake was
about to take aim the third time, Kunuk seized the
spear, saying that he, too, would like to have a try at
killing with it. They now exchanged places. Kunuk,
beating the drum, now struck up a song for Ungilak-
take ; but the very moment the latter was preparing to
bend his back, Kunuk had already taken aim at him,
and the spear hit him in the throat, so that he fell dead
on the spot Everybody now rushed out of the house,
and Kunuk was following, but soon found himself seized
from behind by some one, who proved to be Tajangiar-
suk. A wrestling-match soon ensued on a plain of ice,
covered with many projecting stones, which he had
chosen on purpose, in order to finish off his adversaries
by dashing them against the stones. Kunuk felt a little
irresolute when he noticed that he had found his equal.
Howevei*j he took hold of him, and tried to lift him up
before he got tired out. He flung him down on the
ground, so that the blood gushed out of his mouth.
Another champion soon made his appearance, who was
of a still stronger and larger make ; and he soon got
Kunuk down, and had already put his knee on the
heart of Kunuk, when the latter suddenly took hold of
him from beneath, grasped his shoulders, and pressed
the lungs out of him. The applause of the spectators
was again heard, while some of them were crying, " Now
they are bringing the last of the lot, him with the lame
legs ; " and soon after three boats were seen to carry this
champion thither, for he was not like ordinary men, but
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I43
of an immense size, so that he was oWiged to lie across
all three boats to get along. Having reached the landing-
place, he crept up to the combat-field on his elbows.
When Kunuk tried to throw him, his legs never moved
an inch ; but when he proceeded to lift him up by tak-
ing hold of him round the waist, and began to whirl him
round, he gradually succeeded in lifting also his feet ;
and when they at last turned right outwards, to let him
fall in such a way that his skull was crushed. The people
rejoiced, and cried, *' Thanks to thee ! now we shall have
no masters ! " and those who had been robbed of their
wives got them back again.
11.
THE FAITHLESS WIFE.
[This and the next talc, with a third one about "the dog's offspring,"
which has been omitted in this translation, are taken from five manu-
scripts, one of which was written down in Labrador, the others in
different parts of Greenland. In these some parts of the stories
were intermixed in various ways, but still they seem originally to have
represented the three separate stories, of which two are here given.]
A MAN who was living alone with his wife noticed
that she often left the place without his knowing
where she went On his return from his day-work, he .
seldom found her at home. This made him suspicious ;
and one morning he feigned to be going far away, but
when he went out in his kayak he only paddled to the
, nearest point, and went on shore again and hid himself
behind some rocks. After a little his wife emerged from
the tent in her best attire. He now stole up behind
her, and followed her till she reached a lake ; there he
observed her throw off something into the water, upon
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144 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
which a masculine being appeared, and she undressing,
went out to him in the water. At this sight the hus-
band got into a great rage, and set about gathering all
kinds of vermin ; and one day when he was quite alone
with his wife he stuffed them into her, and in this man-
ner killed her. From that time he was all alone, but did
not wish to go out in his kayak minding his usual busi-
ness. One day, on his returning to his lonely tent, he
was very much surprised to find his supper cooked, and
the smoking meat served up. The next day the same
thing happened again ; the meat smoking hot was served
up on his dish, and his boots were dried and ready to
put on : ^ and all this was repeated every day. One day
he only paddled a little way off the coast, and then went
on shore to hide in a place, whence he could keep a
look-out on his tent ; and he soon observed a little wo-
man, with her hair dressed up in a very large tuft, come
down the hill and enter his tent. He now quickly made
for his kayak, paddled home, and went creeping up to
his house. Having softly lifted the door-curtain, he
noticed a strong unpleasant smell, and saw the little
woman busily trimming his lamp. She was really a fox
transformed into the shape of a woman, and this ac-
counted for the strong smell. Nevertheless, he took her
for his wife. One day he met his cousin out at sea, and
told him about his new wife, praising her loveliness, and
next asked him to come and see her, " But," added he,
" if thou shouldst happen to notice a rank smell about
• her, be sure not to make any remarks about it." The
cousin followed him at once, and having landed together
they both entered the tent. But when the visitor ob-
served how nice and pleasant the wife of his cousin was.
1 The Eskimo boots, or kamikf are neatly made of dressed seal-skin.
After they are put off they must be dried, and then rubbed with a broad-
pointed blunt stick until they are soft and iit to be used again. Rubbing
and drying boots and dog-skin socks form a most important part of an
Eskimo wife's household duties.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I4S
he grew quite jealous ; and in order to make mischief
exclaimed, "Whence comes this nasty smell?" In-
stantly the little woman rose to her feet : she had now
got a tail, wherewith she extinguished the lamp, and like
a fox cried, " Ka, ka, ka ! *' ^ and ran out of the tent.
The husband followed her quickly ; but when he again
caught sight of her she was transformed into a fox, run-
ning up hill as fast as possible. He pursued her, and
at last she vanished into a pave. It is told that while
he stood outside calling for her, she first sent him a
beetle, and then a spider, and at last a caterpillar. He
then grew quite enraged, heaped some fuel together at
the entrance, and burned her alive ; and once more he
was quite alone, and at last killed hirilself in a fit of
madness.
12.
THE MAN WHO MATED HIMSELF WITH
A SEA-FOWL,
AN old bachelor used to amuse himself by playing
with skulls of seals, and feigning them to be his
children. When he went out kayaking he put them
down on the beach, and having placed himself in his
kayak, he would say to them, " Now mind ye be good
children, and go straight up to the house ! " and on still .
finding them in the same place on his return, he would
cry out, " Ye seem to be all deaf and dumb ; did not I
* Or, as the sound is sometimes attempted to be expressed in the books
of Arctic voyagers, " Huk, huk, huk ! "
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146 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
tell ye to keep off from the water before I set off?"
Then taking hold of one of the heads, he threw it into
the sea, " Look, there's your little brother fallen into the
water!" Another time, feeling himself very sad and
lonely, he went running far away into the country, and
happened to fall in with a great many women bathing
in a lake. At this sight an idea seized him, and noise-
lessly he stole away to the place where they had put
their clothes, securing those belonging to the one he
thought the prettiest, and then stepped boldly forward.
When the women saw him they hastened back to their
clothes, and having put them on, they immediately
changed into birds and flew away. Only she who had
been robbed of her clothes remained behind ; and the
bachelor went straight up to her, asking her, " Would
she like to be his wife ?" and in return she said, "Yes,
thou mayst take me if thou likest, only give me my
clothes." She then got them, but he kept hold of her,
lest she, too, should fly. When she had dressed herself
he took her home and married her. The next morning
he did not venture to go out in his kayak, for fear she
might take flight ; and thus it happened that he gave
up kayaking altogether, until one day she declared,
" Now thou mayst leave me without fear, for I do really
love thee, and thou mayst depend upon me ; " and then
he again began to go out seal-hunting. At length she
begat a son, and when he grew up, another son was born ;
but afterwards they got no more children. When the
children grew on, the mother sometimes took them out
walking ; and on the way she would admonish them to
gather bird wings and feathers, saying, " Children, ye
are akin to birds." On a certain day she fastened a
pair of these wings upon one of the boys, who was at
once changed into a sea-fowl, and flew away. She did
the same thing to his brother ; and last of all she herself
put on wings and followed them in the shape of a sea-
fowl. When the old husband came home he found nei-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 47
ther wife nor children, at which he grew very sad. How-
ever, he did not cease to go out in his kayak, although
he no more chased seals. One day he put in close to a
sand-hill, and leaving his kayak on the beach, he crossed
the hill, and went a good way into the country. Look-
ing round, he saw a man with his back turned towards
him, working away at a piece of timber with his axe.
On approaching him, he observed that the lower parts
of his body visibly trembled. The man now asked him,
" From what side art thou drawing nigh ? " and the old
man answered, " I am coming against thee ; " to which
the other remarked, " If thou hadst come from behind,
I should have killed thee on the spot." The old man
now addressed him, saying, " Thou shalt have my new
kayak if thou wilt inform me whether thou hast seen
three persons ? " but the other one answered, " I don't
care for thy new kayak, and I have not seen the three
persons thou speakest of" The old man again said to
him, " I see thou art working in wood, and I will give
thee my new axe ; only let me know whether thou hast
not seen three persons.^" " Well, my axe is rather worn.
Go and sit down on thetail of a salmon in yonder river ;
but when thou hearest the voices of children, mind thou
don't open thine eyes ! " The old man obeyed, and
sat down on the tail of a salmon, shutting his eyes
the while. On hearing a rushing sound he opened his
eyes a little, and noticing that he was carried along by
a rapid Current, he shut them again, and all was silent.*
He again heard the noise of children crying, " Alas, our
father is nigh ! " and the mother answering them, " Lo,
we left your father without any means of conveying him
hither." The children, however, repeated, " Our father
is coming." The father now got on shore, and went to
a house with fine windows to it ; he observed that the
inmateswere all women. Close to the back wall his wife
was sitting, and opposite her a man with a pug-nose,
constantly repeating, " Wilt thou not marry me ? " But
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148 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the woman answered, " No, I have already got another
husband." All the rest now left the house, and only
those two remained. At last, when the fellow with the
pug-nose had left also, the old man made an attempt to
take his wife back ; but she quickly followed the other
out, and while he pursued her she was transformed into
a gull, as were also the rest of the women. The pug-
nosed man was changed into a wild-duck ; and when
the discarded husband turned round, he saw that the
house had been transformed into a gulls-hill.^
13.
THE BARREN WIFE.
[This very popular tale has been collated from three copies agreeing in all
essential particulars.]
A MAN had a wife who begat him no children. The
husband, who was envious of all the people who
had children, one day told her to make herself trim and
nice, and walk on to a certain spot where an old man,
who had given up seal-hunting, had his fishing-place.
This old man, however, was a great magician. The next
day, while he sat fishing in his kayak, a little way ofT
the shore, she appeared on the beach dressed in her best.
But as the old man, afraid of her husband, would not
approach her, she soon returned. The husband himself
now went to the old man, and promised him half of his
^ Or birds-mound — viz., a heap of turf and moss accumulated on the top
of small islands which have been long the resting-place of sea-foi^ls,
and especially gulls, whose ordure has accumulated to a great extent in
such localities.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I49
" catch " if he could think of some means whereby to get
children. When the wife appeared on the beach the
next day, the old man instantly made for the shore, and
went up to her. From this da>C/orwards the husband
always put by half of the seals he caught for the old
man : and when he noticed that his wife was ettceinte, he
asked the old man to take up his abode in their house ;
upon which he rejoined, " Thy wife will bear thee a son. •^
To-morrow when thou goest out kayaking thou must
row to the birds-cliff and get hold of a bird,^ which he
shall use for an amulet." On the following day, when
the husband had brought the bird, the old man went on,
" Fafther, thou must fetch a hollow stone, of a black *
colour, on which the sun has never shone ; *' and when
he had also brought this, the old man said, " Finally,
thou must go to thy grandmother's grave and bring
home her collar-bone." When all these things had been
gathered, the wife brought forth a son, who was named
Kujavarsuk by the old man, and the stone was put
close to his feet,, but the bird was stuck up above the
window. The old man now told the father to provide-
a kayak for the boy as soon as he should be able to
make use of it, and have it ready fitted up with utensils
and all other requisites for the hunt. When the boy
grew up, the father made the kayak; and even before the
skins with which it had been covered had time to dry,
it was put in the water, and the boy being placed in it,
they shoved it off the beach. The old man told what
would happen to him, saying, " The very first time he
goes out, one of the * quiet ' seals will rise to the surface,
and he shall not return home till he has captured ten of
them ; and in future he will always get ten seals when-
ever he goes out kayaking. The old man and the father
now followed him closely, but as soon as they left him
at a little distance a seal popped its head above the
water, and he paddled on and harpooned it, at which
^ An " okaitsok " — Phalacrocorax Carbo.
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the old man was quite transported ; and from this time
the boy began to hunt. When he was grown up he took
two wives ; and he became of great use to his house-
fellows and neighbours. In times of need he was their
only provider. One winter the sea was frozen over very
early, and ere long there was only one opening in the
ice left, right in front of their dwelling-place ; out of this
he every day got his ten seals. Later on the cleft be-
came so narrow that his kayak touched the edge of the
ice with both ends, and at last it altogether closed up.
The whole sea was now covered with ice ; great perplex-
ity came over the people, and they deliberated whether
it would not be necessary to call in an angakok. One per-
son mentioned that in the summer-time he had seen the
widow Igdlutsialik's daughter practising the angakok art
in a lake. Kujavarsuk at once sent off a messenger to
let her know that he would give her a large seal-skin in
return if she would make the ice break up. However,
she declined to do so. They next tried to get her to return
by offering her different things, such as clothes and
lamps; but still she refused. Then some one brought her
a handful of beads, which happened to take her fancy ;
and she said to her mother, " Bring my summer dress."
When she had put it on, she walked down to the water-
side and disappeared among the loose ice-blocks scat-
tered all along the sea-shore. Shortly afterwards the
spectators heard a splash, and she was seen no more.
She now remained in the depths of the ocean for three
days, and at the bottom of the sea she had a struggle
with the old woman (viz., the arnarkuagssdK of the
Eskimo mythology), to make her let loose the animals
of the sea, which she purposely detained, and kept swim-
ming about underneath her lamp ; and when at length
she had managed to conciliate her, she again returned
to the earth. On the evening of the third day she re-
appeared among the ice-blocks on the beach, and let
the people know that she wanted every other seal that
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. IS I
was caught, for herself, of those with the most beauti-
ful skin, as well as of the common fiord seals. As yet,
however, the sea was all covered with ice. But on the
following morning, at dawn, the ice broke up, and an
opening appeared near the houses ; and after a while it
had become so wide that the men could put down their
kayaks. Each of them soon caught two seals, but Kuja-
varsuk as usual got ten, which made the others very
jealous. It now happened one day that his wives had
only put by a piece of the back instead of the briskets
for his mother's brother, who was expected to come
home later in the evening. He was offended at this want
of consideration on their part, and resolved to make
(by help of sorcery) a tupilak for Kujavarsuk. To this
end he gathered bones of all sorts of animals, out of which
he fashioned it in such manner that it could take the
shape of different animals, of birds as well as of seals ; and
having stirred them into life, he let it loose, and ordered
it to persecute Kujavarsuk. First it dived down into the
sea, and again appeared to him in the shape of a seal ;
but he was then already on his way home, and when it
approached him he was in the very act of drawing his
kayak on the shore. The same thing happened on the
second and the third day. The tupilak now determined
to pursue him to his house, and then frighten him to
death. It transformed itself into a toogdlik} and com-
menced shrieking outside the house. Kujavarsuk went
out ; but as he could not be brought to look at it, the
charm would not work. It then resolved to go under-
ground, and pop up into the room. However, it suc-
ceeded no better this time, but rose at the back of the
house ; and just as it was about to climb up the roof, it
met his own amulet-bird, which at once set about pick-
ing and scratching its face. It now, however, turned
desperate, and thought, " Why did this miserable fool
1 The largest sea-fowl in Greenland, Colymbm glacialis^ or Great Nor-
thern Diver.
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152 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ofa man ever make me ! " and in the height of its wrath
it turned against its maker. Diving down into the
water near his fishing-place, it emerged right beneath
his kayak, and fairly upsetting it, devoured him on the
spot. It now fled far away from the habitations of man,
out on the roaring ocean. Kujavarsuk afterwards re-
mained unmolested, and died at a very old age.
[There are other tales of Kujavarsuk among the Greenlanders. The
following may be taken as a sample of the whole.]
When Kujavarsuk had grown a man he travelled to
a place in the north, where he had had a namesake who
died from starvation. The people of those parts fol-
lowed the pursuit of whale-fishery, and here Kujavarsuk
made friends with a youth. Those two were always
trying to outdo each other; but Kujavarsuk was more
than a match for him. In the beginning of winter they
were to try who could detect the first whale. Kuja-
varsuk had never seen any animal of this kind before.
He had by this time taken up his abode with an
old man, who said to him, " When a whale is near at
hand, it cannot be mistaken ; its breathing is at once
roaring and hissing." And Kujavarsuk was always on
the alert to catch sight of them. One fine morning,
when it was quite calm, the old man said, "If the
whales are going to be early this year, they'll turn up on
a day like this.'* Kujavarsuk remained out in his kayak
all day, listening for the signal, but could not perceive
any such sound at all. In the evening he returned after
a fair hunt, and tried to go to sleep, but was not able.
About midnight he rose, and stepping out he heard a
souhd of heavy breathing from the sea coming closer to
him, and stopping at the mouth of the bay ; and on
entering he said, " I wonder what sound it was I heard
just now." The old man walked out, and returned, say-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. I S3
iiig, " Why, that's just the whale blowing ; he did Hot
miss his day." Kujavarsuk now went to rest, and slept
soundly. But early in the morning his young friend
was heard calling without, " Kujavarsuk, the whale is
blowing! thou art too late!" But the old man made
answer, " Thou art mistaken, he knew it yesterday, and
has just gone to sleep." Soon after, the friend said,
" Now let us see which of us is the best hand at making
bladders for our whale-catching." And next day they
went out together to procure seals for this purpose.
Close to land Kujavarsuk got two spotted ones, but his
friend got none at all. As the weather continued fine, .
and more whales appeared, the boats were sent out on
the watch. At first Kujavarsuk concluded he was not
to be of the party because he had no women to row his
boat, but on seeing all the hunters set off along with
their housemates, women and all, he, too, felt a strong
desire to go ; and getting hold of some children, he
manned his boat with them, and left shore. The other
boats, meantime, had stood farther out to sea, and the
people shouted to him, " If thou art on the look-out for
the whale thou must come out to us ; he'll never rise
where thou art now." But he did not mind them, and
stayed where he was, his mother having said, '* I con-
ceived thee on the sea-shore, and for this reason thou
shalt watch thy chance near it." In a little while a
whale appeared close by ; he at once pursued and har-
' pooned it, and the beast could not even draw his blad-
der under the water. Again the others cried, " If thou
wilt not lose it thou must pursue it more seawards."
But he only replied, " All the animals of the sea that I
am going to pursue will seek towards shore, close to my
dwelling-place." And thus he was left alone to kill it
all by himself. Whether he got any more than this
one is not known ; but perhaps he even got his ten of
them. When spring came on he returned to his former
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154 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
home, where he still found the old fisherman alive, and
to him he presented all the whalebone ; the longest and
best splits having been all reserved for him.
14.
THE TWO BROTHERS.
[This tale is compiled from four manuscripts which differ somewhat.]
TWO brothers lived in the mouth of a fiord — ^the elder
one on the sunny side, the other on the shady
side of the inlet. One night the servant of the younger
brother happening to go behind the house suddenly per-
ceived something bright glittering out on the sea, and
at the same time detected a boat that seemed to grow
in size as it approached ; on looking sharply she was
horrified at recognising it to be an umiariak (or super-
natural boat manned with fabulous beings). She wanted
to run, but was not able to stir ; she tried to call out,
but found that she could not utter a sound, and so she
must needs keep quiet. The next thing she saw was a
number of people landing, all carrying glittering swords,
and walking straight up to the tent, and sticking their
spears through it from all sides. Loud cries were heard
from within, and the foreigners • rushed down to their
boat She saw the water foaming, and a multitude
of seals moving out seawards. She was not able to
rise till they were quite out of sight ; then she got up
and went to the tent, where she found all the inmates
killed, and the earth covered with blood. Although it
was still dark, she could not possibly wait, but set
off at once, and wandered ever so far round the whole
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 55
bay to reach the opposite shore, where the other brother
lived, and having reached his tent she told him what had
taken place, and that all her housemates had been put
to death. But somehow he got suspicious, and believed
that she herself had killed them. Seeing this, she
merely said, " First go and look for thyself, and after-
ward thou mayst kill me if thou likest." He now went
across to his brother's station, and when he had seen the
tent pierced from all sides he was reassured with regard
to the servant, and only thought of finding out the ene-
mies. He bespoke an angakok to come and see him,
that he might point them out to him. At night, when
the angakok had arrived, the lamps were extinguished,
and he spoke, " Look there ; far away in the interior of
the land, I espy them." When he could no longer des-
cry them he again had the lamps lighted. On the fol-
lowing day the surviving brother paddled up to the
fiord head, left his kayak on the beach, and walked,
only armed with his spear, to the interior. After a long
ramble he at length. discovered a house, and stealing to
the window he peeped through it, and beheld a man
with only one eye sitting down, and busily carving some
implement out of wood. On turning round, the man
caught sight of the stranger, and at once invited him to
come in. Having entered the house, he went and sat
down beside the man with one eye, who, however, mo-
tioned him oflf a little, saying, " Don't sit quite so close
to me ; I might happen to cut thee." When the guest
had complied, and moved farther away, he went on,
saying, " Let refreshment be brought in for the stran-
ger." A loud peal of laughter was then heard, and from
beneath the ledge emerged a lot of narrayoot (plural of
nftrr^dk, big-bellied), these being the only womankind
of his household. They went out, returning soon after-
wards with great quantities of meat, chiefly reindeer
flesh and tallow. The host now said to him, " To-mor-
row I will go with thee and help thee to find out thy
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enemies, but now thou must He down to rest here ; thou
hast nothing to fear." On the following day the one-
eyed man prepared to follow him, taking with him a
large bunch of arrows, fitted up in a skin cover. Hav-
ing advanced somewhat into the country, he walked so
quickly that his companion could hardly keep up with
him. At length he stopped, and putting his arrows on
the ground, he said, " Turn thy face towards the interior
and give a shout." Without knowing the reason why,
he turned his face towards the interior part of the
country, and cried out aloud, upon which three large
bears instantly appeared. The one-eyed man aimed his
bow at them and killed them all. Again he said, " Turn
round and call as before ! " This done, a multitude of
people appeared, armed with bows and arrows. He was
dreadfully frightened ; but his companion, seeing this,
said, " Go and hide behind me ; but mind, as soon as
thou puttest forth thy head they'll shoot thee." Having
thus sheltered himself behind his protector, though all
the time trembling with fear, he soon observed the
arrows to be flying about him right and left ; but after
a while they decreased in number, and finally abated
altogether. The enemies having discharged all their
arrows had taken flight. The one-eyed man then took
up his bow, and the still revengeful brother his spear,
and both set off" m pursuit of them, overtaking and kill-
ing the whole of them. On the way home the inlander
noticed his companion's weapon, questioned him con-
cerning it, as he had never seen the like before, and told
him he would like very much to purchase it ; and be-
cause of his handsome behaviour he had his wish. On
their return they went together to his storehouse, and
he was repaid with the renowned sea-Jiare skin (viz.,
white reindeer skins with black streaks), and one of the
little women was called to take them down. She put
the bundle on her stomach, and ran so fast with it that
the visitor could not keep pace with her. On his reach-
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ing home, he found them put on the roof of his house,
and from that time his mind was at rest.
Note. — This rather mystical tale is in Greenland related in different
ways. It seems to have originated from some historical tradition mixed
np with the common belief that when seals are chased and killed in too
great numbers, the surviving ones will often avenge themselves in the
shape of umiarissai (plural of mniariaK) — that is, armed people in a boat
fashioned out of a solid piece of ice. In one of the versions the inlanders
here mentioned are called erkileks^ in another *' the men who twinkle length-
wise,^* which dosely reminds one of the Indians called Loucheux or Squint-
eyes, who up to the present day are one of the tribes most hostile to the
Eskimo, and described as being able to make themselves proof against the
arrows of their enemies by means of a certain movement of their eyes.
15.
G I V I O K.
[This tale is chiefly taken from a single manuscript, but nevertheless it is
well known all over Greenland. Some slight traces will be found in
it of the Indian Hiawatha tale.]
GIVIOK (pron. Ghiviok),i it is told, lost his wife,
and was about to leave his child and the place
where she was buried, in despair. He only waited till
the boy had gone to sleep, and then he let himself down
from the ledge to the floor ; but when the child began
crying, he again lay down beside him. Once he was
all ready, stooping down to get out of the entrance, but
went back unable to leave his son. One day the little
boy passionately entered the room, saying, " My mother
is walking outside with a stranger." Giviok answered,
* The letter G, used, as in this instance, to begin a word, is in the
Greenlandish language abnormal. It has been adopted from the original
manuscripts, but the name ought perhaps to have been called Kiviok.
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158 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
" Thy mother is not here ; she is lying under the big
stones yonder." ^ But the little boy persisted, saying,
"Look for thyself, then;" and when Giviok did look
out of the window, he actually saw his wife in the arms
of another man. At this he got into a great rage, went
out, killed them, and put them on top of each other into
the stone grave. Father and son now went to rest : but
when the boy slept the father carried out his intention
of taking flight; and passing through the doorway, this
time resisted the cries of the boy, got into his kayak,
and hastened away. He paddled on and on across the
wild sea ; he came to the whirlpool, and was nearly
drawn into it Somehow, however, he escaped. Then
he got among the villainous sea-lice. First he tried to
keep them back by striking at them with his kayak-
stick ; but that was soon devoured. Then he threw out
his sealskin gloves ; and seeing that they lasted a little
longer, he bethought himself of covering his paddle-
blades with a pair of old gloves, lest the beasts should
attack his paddle before he could slip away from them ;
and then he managed to get past them. Continuing
his voyage, he saw a long black line, and on approach-
ing it he noticed it to be sea-weed, which he found to be
so compact that he got out ; and lying down to rest, he
went to sleep on it When he awoke, he pushed himself
and his kayak on with his hands, and in this manner
got across the sea-weed. He continued paddling until
he came in sight of two icebergs, with a narrow passage
between them ; and he observed that the passage alter-
nately opened and closed again. He tried to pass the
icebergs by paddling round outside them, but they
always kept ahead of him ; and at length he ventured
to go right between them. With great speed and alacrity
he pushed on, and had just passed when the bergs
closed together, and the stern-point of his kayak got
^ The Eskimo in Greenland and the greater part of their territories
have always been buried under heaps of stones.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 159
bruised between them. At last he caught a glimpse of
something dark, and soon after he reached a great
stretch of land looming ahead of him. Giviok now
thought, " If this country be inhabited, I will be sure
to find a bare rock ;" ^ and such a one he soon found.
He shortly afterwards detected a house by the smoking
chimney, and Jie soon concluded that they were busy
cooking inside. He went straight on towards it, upset
the funnel, and hid himself close by. Instantly a female
came rushing out, saying, " I wonder if any one upset
it ? " upon which she again put it to rights ; and mean-
time, perceiving Giviok, quickly re-entered the house,
but as quickly returned, saying to him, " Thou art in-
vited to step inside." On entering, he saw a hideous
old hag lying beneath a coverlet, who ordered her
daughter to go and fetch some berries; and, running
out, she soon returned with a great quantity of them,
profusely mixed up with fat Giviok, while he was
eating them, remarked, "They are really delicious;"
and Usorsak (this was the name of the old hag) re-
joined, " No wonder; the fat is of quite a young fellow ; "
but Giviok answered, " Fie ! anything of that kind I
cannot eat;" and stooping down, he noticed a lot of
human heads all in a row beneath the ledge ; and when
the hag uncovered herself a little, and turned her back
towards him, he saw something glittering close behind
her. When they were all ready to go to rest, Giviok
said, " I shall just go outside for an instant." Accord-
ingly he went, and soon found a flat stone to cover his
breast with ; and re-entering, he lay down on the ledge
beneath the window. No sooner did he seem to be
sleeping, than he heard the daughter saying, " Now he
is sound asleep ; " and instantly the old hag came jump-
ing down from her place on the main ledge ; but on his
feigning not to be quite asleep, she cautiously returned.
When he again had become quiet, and lying on his back
* A place \xsed for drying provisions, and therefore without moss.
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l60 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
was exposing his breast, the daughter again said, " He
surely sleeps now;" and again the mother let herself
down, even quicker than the first time, and jumping up
where he was lying, she sat down with all her weight
upon his chest, crying out,. "Oh dear!" but instantly-
tumbled down. " What a pity I " cried the daughter ;
" Usorsak has broken her tail ; she provided so nicely
for all of us" (viz., killing men by help of her tail).
Giviok now got up from his couch, let fall the stone,
and escaped through the door, the daughter shouting
after him, " Thou rascal ! wouldn't I like to have had a
taste of thy fine cheeks ! " but he was already in his
kayak, where he was nearly upset Rising again, he
broke out, " Shouldn't I like to harpoon her 1 " and so
saying, he killed her on the spot. He now continued
his journey; and after a while again reached a bare
rock. At a little distance from it he landed; and, as
before, went up to a house where he likewise upset the
chimney-funnel, and afterwards hid himself. A woman
again emerged from the doorway; and when she re-
entered, he heard them wondering at the chimney
having been upset, as there had not been any wind.
When she again made her appearance, Giviok came
forth, and was asked to come inside. Crossing the
threshold, he observed that the walls were covered all
over with hunting - bladders. Here, also, the inmates
consisted of a mother and a daughter. The mother
now spoke — " It will soon be low-water ; it is a bad job
for us that we have no one to haul in our draught when
we have harpooned and fixed the bladders to the fishes."
Giviok answered — " I have my kayak close by, and have
just come from the bad women yonder, both of whom I
have killed." " Then thanks to thee ! " they exclaimed.
" We, too, have had men in our house, but these monsters
put all of them to death ; but now thou hadst better stay
here with us." Giviok at once consenting, they went
on saying, " To-morrow we shall have low-water, and
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when thou hearest a roaring nois^e, thou must hasten
back ; then the high tide sets in, and thou must be back
on shore." They then went to sleep. Giviok was sound
asleep when he was awakened by the roaring waters,
and saw the daughter glide through the house-passage.
He hastened down to the shore ; but when he arrived,
the women had already caught a number of halibut,
which were lying high and dry on the beach. He was
only in time to finish off a few when the sound of the
rising waters was again heard, and the great waves came
rolling over him, so that he had a narrow escape to the
coast. The harpooned fish, on account of the bladders,
kept floating on the surface, but drove across to the
opposite shore. Giviok, however, fetched them back in
his kayak, for which the women were very thankful to
him ; and he remained with them for some time. After
a while, the memory of his son haunted him, and he
said to himself, "My poor little son! what a pitiful
thing it was to hear him cry when I went away ! Some
day I must go and see him." So he left the plaqe, and
travelled on and on, encountering all the dangers he
had met with on his departure from home, but once
more happily getting past them. At last he reached
the opposite country, and he heard people singing. He
followed the song, and fell in with a great many boats
tugging a whale along, on which stood a vigorous man.
He did not recognise him ; but this was his son, and
he had been catching the whale. The father left him
a weeping child, and now beheld him a great hunter,
standing on a whale's back.
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1 62 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
16.
T I G G A K.
[This is an abstract from three somewhat varying copies received from
Greenland. In one of the Labrador l^ends traces of the same tale
appear.]
TIGGAK was a famous angakok and sorcerer. He
married a girl who had a number of brothers, and
after this he grew neglectful of his duties, and gave up
hunting. When the brothers-in-law left home in the
morning, they could not persuade him to follow them ;
sometimes he even slept till the first of the kayakers
returned, and then did nothing but keep his wife com-
pany, and dawdle the time away till bedtime came
round again. This offended the other men, and they
let him understand that they were vexed with him.
One evening, when one of the brothers had ordered
some boiled briskets, he said to Tiggak when they
were served up, *' Do eat some meat — that is easy
work." Tiggak took a considerable quantity, and did
not pay any attention to the brother-in-law's remarks,
but ate away without giving any answer. In the midst
of winter, they were one evening awakened by the noise
of the wind. A gale from the north set in. The brothers
left off hunting, and lived solely upon their stored-up
provisions; but at last these were brought to an end.
One day, when they could not even go out in the kayak,
Tiggak was missing. Towards evening they looked
about for him, and there was a terrible snow-drift.
Late at night they heard a call, and they saw him ap-
proaching, .and dragging two seals along with him.
From that time he rose in their estimation, and was
now highly thought of among them. He now had the
briskets served up, and addressed the brothers, saying.
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" Now come and fall to; the meat is boiled and served
up, and^ eating it is easy work." They all ate, but no-
body spoke. Next day the same scene was repeated;
and all the winter he continued providing for the others :
but in the summer he left off, and let his brothers-in-law
undertake this task themselves. Subsequently Tiggak
adopted a boy as his son. Once more it was winter, and
the sea was covered with ice as far as the eye could see.
Tiggak was the only one to roam about upon the ice,
looking out for the .haze and seeking open holes in the
ice, indicating the places to which the sea animals resort
in order to breathe. Far off, beyond the outermost islets,
he went away for seals. One day the sky was cloudless
and the wind down. He had resolved to go out on the
ice with the brothers, and he turned to his adopted son
saying, *' To-day thgu mayst come with us and try thy
hand at seal-catching." On gaining the remotest inlets,
Tiggak made an opening in the ice to examine the state
of the waters beneath. When he had done he said, " I
believe it will come to pass ; the sea-weed seems to be
drifting landwards : just look." The brothers then saw
that the current, setting towards land, was stronger than
usual, and Tiggak said, ** We shall have a gale presently;
let us make all haste for the shore." And though they
could hardly credit his words, the weather being so calm,
they left their seals behind and followed him quickly.
Then the snow was seen foaming on the mountain-peaks;
and when they had only reached the first row of islets,
the storm burst strong and fierce, and broke up the ice.
Tiggak took hold of his son's hand, running as fast as
possible, and leapt across the clefts in the ice. At last
they came to a very broad one near the land, and all of
them jumped over to the opposite side; the son only
did not dare to try the leap, but kept running to and fro
along the edge of the cleft. At last Tiggak took pity
on him and returned to him, the others also following
him ; but now they all drifted away seawards, and now
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164 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
and then the waves washed over the ice-floe they were
standing on, and they grew silent with fear. At last
one of them remarked, " It is said that Tiggak is learned
in magic art, and we are drifting out to the wild sea."
Tiggak said, *' I only know a short song treating of the
ocean foam ; " and he at once began singing. Having
finished, they saw an iceberg close in front of them, and
in a short time they came up to it, and soon caught sight
of an easy ascent. The iceberg, however, kept constantly
driving up and down, so that they had to watch their
chance to get over. When they were just on a level
with the point where they intended to cross, Tiggak
took the lead and jumped over, and managed to get a
sure footing on it ; and after him the others followed.
They were all, however, drifting further out to sea, when
one of them again remarked, " We will be sure to perish
from thirst unless Tiggak knows some charm that will
work." He answered, " I only know this one little song
to get water." Having finished the incantation, a little
spring bubbled forth from the centre of the iceberg.
The brothers instantly wanted to drink ; but he told
them to wait, saying that otherwise it was sure to dry
up at once. But when he had tasted it himself, he per-
mitted them to drink ; and now it could not change.
After having drifted about for a long time, they came
in sight of an extensive country ; and Tiggak said to
his companions, " If any of you is fortunate enough to
leap ashore, he must not look towards the sea so long as
any of us are behind, otherwise our place of refuge will
break up and be annihilated." When they did jump
ashore, one by one, none of them looked round ; but
when the last had safely landed, Tiggak turned round
and exclaimed, " Behold our place of refuge ! " and lo !
nothing remained of it but a heap of foam. They now
determined to go and find out the people of the country ;
and having crossed an isthmus, they came in sight of
many houses, and were shortly afterwards invited into
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one of them. They relieved themselves of their outer
garments, and hanging them up on the boat-pillars/
went inside. During the meal, a squint-eyed youth
with a shaggy head of hair appeared in the doorway,
and called out, " The strangers from the east are hereby
invited to pay a visit." And shortly afterwards he
returned to repeat the same message. The host now
remarked, " Since he presses you so ardently, you will
be obliged to go." And so they entered another house,
where a great many people were assembled. On the
main ledge a disagreeable giant-like man was sitting,
and by his side a similar old woman, gnawing away at
a big shoulder-bone. The huge man pulled forth a seal-
skin, spread it on the ground, and, in a deep-sounding
voice, exclaimed, "Now come on for a wrestling-match!"
The brothers commenced whispering to Tiggak that he
should take the first turn ; but he said, " Not so ; you
go down first, then I'll follow." The other guests were
all ordered away, and the old hag fastened the door
with the shoulder-blade. One of the brothers now
hooked his arm into that of the giant. Unable to van-
quish him, however, he was soon obliged to givs in to
the strong man, who, catching hold of his lower parts,
fell over him, and, with a deep groan, he was crushed to
death. The giant next called out for a rope, and this
being immediately let down through the ceiling, he fast-
ened it round the dead man's body, and had him hoisted
up to the roof of the house, where a sound of knives
was presently heard, and whence one cried out, " Here
is his eye ; let it be kept for our master." Tiggak mean-
while thought, " In this manner I shall soon lose all my
brothers-in-law ; '* and therefore he whispered to him
who was going to stand forward, " Just let me take a
turn with him ! " They now hooked their arms toge-
ther, and the giant, taking a pull in good earnest, nearly
succeeded in hauling Tiggak's arm across to him. For-
* Poles for supporting the boat during the winter.
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1 66 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
tunately, however, he stopped him. Then pausing a min-
ute, he feigned to have been overcome by his adversary,
but suddenly threw him down, and leapt upon him.
The brothers now came to his aid, and assisted in put-
ting him to death in the same way as he had treated
their brother. Imitating the voice of the other, Tiggak
now called out, " A rope, a rope ! " which instantly ap-
peared, and was made fast round the neck of the giant ;
and again he cried, "Haul away!" Once more the
sound of knives was heard ; but after a while all was
silent, and at last one cried out, " Are we not flensing
our own master ? We'll make them perish down below!"
And presently they commenced pouring water down
upon them. They tried to leave the house, but found
no means of escape. Suddenly, however, Tiggak re-
membered that his amulet was sowed up in the lining
of his outer jacket, which he had left on the boat-pillars
on their arrival, and he called out, " Bring me my coat
that lies outside ; I want it for a shroud 1 " Contrary
to his anticipations, it was instantly thrown down, and
catching hold of it, he loosened something from within
the fuf-lining, and there was his amulet all right. He
put it into his mouth, and, after saying " Revenge us ! "
he again took it out. Already they heard voices out-
side crying, " He is falling ! — and he too ! — and there
is another one I " and so on ; and after a while the amu-
let returned, covered with blood. Having well wiped
and cleaned it, the owner again threw it out and cried,
" AH of them I " When the amulet next time returned
no sound was heard outside. They now pushed for-
ward, and from a corner of the ledge they found their
way out Not seeing any person alive, they went back
to the house where they had been first received, and
again set to work at their meal. But the silly-looking
youth again appeared in the entry, and said, " FlI tell
you what — Apiak is now doing her very worst : she is
cooking the brains, hands, and feet of her son." Tiggak,
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 67
however, could not understand him. The youth returned
and told the same thing over again ; but still Tiggak
did not understand him, and let him go. One of the
brothers — the same who had made the remark that
Tiggak was learned in magic art— now said, "It will
be the brains, hands, and feet of the one thou didst kill
up yonder, and his mother probably intends to regale
thee with a dish made of them. When thou hast been
asked to go, thou wilt perceive an oblong dish right in
front of the entrance, filled with brains nicely served up.
On entering the room thou must quickly take hold of it,
and standing erect with thy face turned towards her,
and with thine eyes shut, thou shalt eat it all up — if thou
eatest it with open eyes, thou wilt go mad and die ; and
after having tasted it, thou must turn the dish upside
down, and put it back in its place. That done, open
thine eyes again, and sit down beside the lamp. She
will then turn her gaze upon thee, and thou wilt still
remain unchanged ; and when she takes the dish and
turns it round, the contents of it will be all restored, and
thou shalt say to her, ' Now, please, eat something thy-
self, as I have done.* While she is eating, with her looks
turned upon thee, just see what becomes of her!"
When the brother-in-law had thus spoken, the squint-
ing youth again appeared, saying, " The foreigner is in-
vited to follow me ! '' Tiggak walked up to the house
of the old hag, and acted exactly as he had been told ;
and having eaten, the wicked old woman turned raving
mad and died. Tiggak now returned to his brothers-in-
law, saying, " I have killed the old hag, but they will
go on in this manner if we stay here ; so we had better
leave the place altogether and make for our home again."
They again crossed the isthmus, and saw a snow-covered
hill sloping down to the water's side. There they stop-
ped, and Tiggak asked the eldest brother, " What kind
of amulet didst thou take when thou hadst to make thy
choice?" He answered, "A small piece of bear-skin."
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1 68 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Tiggak said, " That is first-rate." He then asked the
second one ; and he had the same amulet, and so had all
of them : but when he questioned the youngest of them,
he answered, " I am not quite sure ; but I believe it's
a piece of bear-skin;" whereat Tiggak said, "That's
all right ; you will all do very well." When, however,
he asked the son he had adopted, he only answered,
"I don't know indeed." But Tiggak then said, '*We
shall leave thee behind if thou wilt not tell." ** But I
don't know it." " If thou goest on that way, we shall
certainly leave thee alone ; so pray tell us ! " He then
said, "When I was able to judge for mySelf, I got
a snow ' bunting^ for my amulet;" at which Tiggak
became silent, and shook his head. After a while
he remarked, "And yet it may do; thou must perch
down on us;" and Tiggak let himself slide down-
hill, right down into the sea, where he disappeared, and
again reappeared in the shape of a bear. He shook the
water from his ears, and turned to the others, saying,
" Now follow me all of you ; " and they were all trans-
formed into bears. When the son's turn came, he had
not the courage. However, when the others had long
besought him to follow them, he went gliding slowly
down ; and when he reached the margin of the water,
he grew a snow-bunting, and as such was able to fly.
Meanwhile all the others were swimming homewards ;
and when the little snow-bunting got tired, he took a rest
between their ears. At length they landed a little to
the north of their old homestead ; and when they first
climbed up the shore, Tiggak shook himself well, and
his bear-skin glided off. The rest all did the same.
When the son's turn had come, he shook off the snow-
bunting's skin; and thus all of them marched home,
except the one who had been killed.
' Emberiza nivalis.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 169
17.
MALAISE— THE MAN WHO TRAVELLED
TO AKILINEK.
[This story has been collated from two separate copies, one of which was
written down from the verbal narration of an East Greenlander.
Akilinek signifies a fabulous country beyond the seas.]
WE are told that Malaise (pron. Malysee) was a
jolly, fearless fellow, who lived in prosperity
with his two sisters, both younger than himself, and
that he had his winter - quarters at the mouth of a
fiord. When he went out kayaking, his sisters followed
him on foot, going along the beach ; and returning as
soon as they saw him put back, they reached home at
the same time. One day when the sea was all covered
with ice the sisters went away to the outermost islets,
to gather some roots. Suddenly an eastern gale over-
took them ; the ice broke up, and they were taken far
out to sea in very bad weather. After a while the sky
became clear, and they came in sight of some high land.
They drifted on towards it and landed safely, but almost
starving with hunger. On looking round they saw that
the ice-floe on which they had floated had turned into
foam. Each of them had part of a gull for an amulet.
They now wandered across the country, and arrived at
a little bay into which a river emptied itself, and the
eldest said, " There will be salmon yonder, I warrant, or
there would not be so many gulls about. Let us go and
have a look at the place." Coming down to the river-
side they found it abounding in salmon ; and having
instantly caught one, they made a fire by rubbing pieces
of wood together, and put the fish on a slab to fry it :
but though they only ate half of the tail-piece, both
were quite satisfied. It was now getting low tide, a|id
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they saw the beach turning quite dry, and all along the
coast there were numbers of spotted seals {Pfwca vitu-
Una), and various other kinds besides, of which they
killed as many as they required with big stones. Having
taken up their abode in this place, they one day ob-
served two kayakers, who were out hunting for spotted
seals. On seeing the girls they were heard to exclaim,
" Well, he who gets ashore first shall marry the prettiest
of the two ; " upon which they both took to their pad-
dles, and he who first reached the shore touched the
elder sister, the other one taking the younger ; and quite
forgetting their hunt, they hastened home to fetch a
boat. Before long they returned with a good crew, got
the girls into the boat, and brought them to their house,
where they lived as happy as could be for some time.
After a while each of them had a daughter ; but subse-
quently the eldest one noticed that her sister had quite
lost her spirits. One day, when the two happened to be
all by themselves, she asked her why she was always
sobbing and crying ; and the sister answered that her
husband had told her that he would kill her if she next
time bore him a daughter. The eldest sister advised
her to feign that she was quite content, and went on
saying, " We'll pack up our clothes, and as soon as the
ice forms, we'll return to our old home ; but don't let them
suspect anything." They now made themselves new
clothes, and put them by in their bags, which had been
concealed beneath the boat outside about the same time
that the ice covered the sea. The seal-hunting ceased ;
and the men having nothing else to do, went out visiting
at a large house close by, where they amused them-
selves with dancing. The elder sister now proposed
that they should try to make their escape at a time
when the men had gone away to their dancing; and
they only waited a convenient opportunity. One night
when there was to be a dance, and all the other women
had gone to look on, so that nobody was to be seen
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outside, the sisters first walked up and down outside
the house, lulling their children to sleep. That they
might not be suspected, they had only put on their
short breeches. The little girls who used to nurse the
children came running out after them, so that they
could not get off immediately; but soon afterwards
they heard singing within the house, and as it seemed
to be a funny song, the girls went in to listen. Upon
this the sisters hastened away to the boat, and having
got on their breeches and put the babies into their
amowts} they started. At first they kept on shore,
but subsequently went out on the ice, and there they
wandered all the night long. At daybreak they went
to hide behind some blocks of ice, and before long they
heard the sound of sledges, and perceived that their
traces had been followed. Where their footprints were
lost, they heard their pursuers halt and call out to them,
" Your poor little children are crying for you ; " but
they did not leave their place of retreat until evening.
They then set forth and continued their journey ; but
on the way they suffered their babies to freeze to death,
and having put them down on the snow, left them there.
Some time afterwards they reached land and recognised
the place where they had formerly had their winter-
station. They proceeded a little further, and behold !
there was their own little house, just as they had left it.
Malaise was very much astonished to see his sisters
entering, and immediately questioned them about Aki-
linek and the hunting in those parts, but he could not
make them tell anything. After the return of his sisters.
Malaise displayed great energy in fishing and hunting.
When the days were beginning to lengthen, he one
morning came back to the house, having put on his
kayak-jacket, and stepping inside he said, "This is a
fine day to go out kayaking;" upon which' the sisters
* Cor. sp. amaut, hood on the back of a woman's jacket to carry the
child in. r^ \
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172 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
turned to him, saying, "Though almost* nothing is to
be got in this poor country, it cannot be denied that
Malaise strives hard enough to provide for us ; but, to
be sure, in Akilinek there is something for a hunter."
Hearing this, he put his jacket aside and said, "Well,
then, let me hear something about it ;" and from that
day they began telling him all he wished ; and even in
fine weather Malaise did not stir out. Once when they
had been telling him of the many seals they had found
on the dry beach, he could not forbear saying, " I really
must try Akilinek — in spring when the saddleback-
seals^ appear. I will give my women's boat a threefold
covering. Then his wife began crying, being of a very-
timid disposition ; but Malaise only laughed at her. As
soon as the seals appeared, he caught as many of them
as they wanted for his purpose. The boat got three
coverings ; and he only waited a favourable opportunity
for starting. One day he rose very early, went outside,
and ascended a hill to ascertain the state of the weather.
On finding that not a breath of wind was stirring, he
returned, and on entering the house, observed, "The
day is fine and it is quite calm now ; let us be off for
Akilinek." His wife again cried ; but Malaise laughed
down her fears, and made preparations for their depar-
ture. When fhe boat was ready, his wife, still sobbing
and crying, was put into it ; then they pushed off from
shore, and heading westward, at once put out to sea.
The sisters had to row all by themselves, and their
sister-in-law continued crying in the bottom of the boat.
When at last she left off a little, Malaise, further to
tease her, rose from his place, and looking aft, observed,
" I think we are going to have a gale, it is getting quite
black out there 1 " after which she again commenced
crying in good earnest, to his very great diversion. At
last they entirely lost sight of their own country ; but
^ Phoca Greenlandka^ the &tdjE of the Greenlanders, the most common
of the large seals. The skin is used for boat-covers.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 73
Malaise thought they were very slow in getting on, and
he cut the outer covering away because it had grown
too wet. Before they had sighted any land, he likewise
cut off the second cover, and then they again went on a
good while ; but all on a sudden Malaise sprang to his
feet, saying, " I see the loom of the land yonder ! " On
hearing this his wife also got up and stuck to the oars
bravely. They soon came close to this land, and the
sisters recognised the bay in which they had first landed,
and at the same time observed their former husbands, who
were now coming on to attack them. Before their depar-
ture, however, Malaise had been out to the grave of some
relative in search of a pair of reindeer-skin stockings,
which he had brought away with him. He now took a
drinking-vessel, which he filled with water, and having
poured some dust mingled with the hairs of the stock-
ings into it, he put the tub down on an adjacent rock,
where their adversaries were obliged to pass by. When
the eldest came up to it, he took a drink of water, but
was at once transformed into a reindeer, which was shot
by Malaise, and rolled into the sea. The other one had
no better luck ; and in this manner Malaise killed all
their companions excepting one, to whom he said, " I
will spare thee that thou mayst live on, a miserable
specimen of thy countrymen." Some time afterwards
he again gave his boat three separate coverings, filled
it with narwhal-horns, matak (the edible hide of the
whale), salmon, and many other valuables, and reached
his former home, where he stayed content until his
death.
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174 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
18.
NAVARANAK OR JAVRAGANAK.
[This apparently historical tradition has been given in two separate narra-
tives, the original copies not agreeing sufficiently to admit of their
being combined into one, although they have evidently sprung from
the same source. The variants of this tale exemplify in a very re-
markable manner how the narrators have practised their habit of
localising events. The first copy is one from North Greenland, where the
inlanders are meant to represent the fabulous inhabitants of the interior
of Greenknd ; the second is one from Labrador, in which the native
Indians of that country are plainly alluded to ; and it is very remark-
able that a third record of the same events has been received from
South Greenland, in which the inlanders are represented as being
identical with the ancient Scandinavian settlers in those parts of the
country.]
THE inlanders and the coast-people in the beginning
were friends. A servant-maid called Navaranak
used to be sent out by the inlanders to the coast-people
in order to fetch back matak (edible whale-skin), and in
exchange brought them reindeer-tallow ; but after a
time she grew weary of this work, and resolved to free
herself by making them enemies. For this purpose she
told the inlanders that the coast-people were going to
attack them, and to the coasters she asserted that the
inlanders were making ready to invade them. At length
she provoked the inlanders to such a degree that they
resolved upon attacking the coast-people. They chose
a time when they were well aware that the men had all
gone out hunting ; and, accompanied by Navaranak, fell
upon the helpless women and children. In their fright
some of the mothers killed their own children, but one
woman who was pregnant fled down beneath the ledge ;
and when Navaranak was sent back by the inlanders to
find her out, she promised her all she possessed not to be-
tray her. Some also escaped by hiding themselves among
the rocks, but all the rest were killed. When the men
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returned, those who were left alive ran down and told
them what had happened ; and on coming up from the
beach to their houses and beholding all their dead, the
men were almost desperate. When the time came for
Sensing and cutting up the whale, Navaranak did not
arrive as usual ; she seemed to have disappeared alto-
gether. When summer had again come round, the men
prepared a great many arrows, and set out for the in-
terior to take revenge on the inlanders. On their way
they called out, as was their wont, " Navaranak, come
on ; we have got matak for thee ! " but no one appeared.
Again they went on a good distance, and then repeat-
edly called out, " Navaranak," &c. And this time she
answered the summons, and went up to them. On no-
ticing their arrows, she was about to take flight. Reas-
suring her, however, they told her she had no need to
do that. When she had ventured quite close to them,
they asked her where her countrymen were to be found,
and she said, "Further away in the interior of the
country ! " but now they made her fast to a rope, and
dragged her along with them until she perished. At
length they arrived at a very large lake, where the tents
of the inlanders were pitched all around, and they saw
people going out and in. But they waited till all had
entered the tents, and then they made their attack.
Arrows came flying from both sides ; but those of the
inlanders soon grew fewer in number, and the coast-
people remained all unwounded. When they had done
with the men, they went inside, killing women and chil-
dren ; and having thus satisfied their revenge, returned
to their homes.
[On the island of Okak, in Labrador, this tale is told as follows :— ]
At Kivalek, on the island of Okak, there once lived a
great many people, among whom was an Indian woman
named Javraganak. From her childhood she had been
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176 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
living with the coast-people, whose servant she was ;
but nevertheless she had always remained a stranger
among them/ One day when she was hungry, and
longed for one of her Indian dishes, she said, "At
Pangma my countrymen have plenty of tongues;" upon
which an old man sneeringly replied, *' I daresay thou
hast many brothers and relatives away there ; thou hadst
better make them come over here," — and at night she
wandered away to give them warning. In those times
hares were very abundant, and sometimes you might
even hear them run about on the house-tops. One night
when Javraganak had come with a great number of
her countrymen, those within heard a murmuring sound
outside, and the old man said, " Well, if that is not the
hares again ! They are very lively, it seems." Besides
him there was not a man at home ; they were all out
hunting. And so it happened that all the inhabitants
were put to death by Javr&ganak's Indian countrymen.
Many of them sought refuge in a cave, where some were
suffocated and others murdered. On their return the
men found their wives and children all killed ; but
shortly afterwards they set out to kill the murderers.
Among these men was an angakok, who made a road
for them right through a mountain, and the countrymen
of Javraganak were all destroyed. She, however, was
not to be found, having gone to hide herself ; but the
men had great trust in their angakok. At last a man
happened to call out, "How I wish that Javraganak
would serve me again ! " upon which she immediately
appeared, looking very comfortable. But they soon all
fell upon her, wound a cord around her body, and
dragged her along the ground tj^l she died. And in
this way she was paid back for what she had done to
them.
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19.
AVARUNGUAK OR AGDLERUT.
AT a well-peopled place the trick of pinching was a
favourite amusement with the inhabitants. One
night a girl, who was an only sister with a number of
brothers, came running in, crying, "I wonder who it
can possibly be who is always running after me and
paying court to me?" They told her that when he
again made his appearance, she had better bring him
into the house. When at length she brought him in, it
was a man totally unknown to all of them. Avarunguak
— ^such was his name — ^had grown up in solitary places,
and when he came among people he married this girl,
and after a while learned to manage a kayak, and
grew an excellent hunter. Once they had some visitors
from the south, and an old woman of the party ac-
costed Avarunguak thus, saying, " If Avarunguak were
to hear of the nice hunt, and the many auks^ we
have down in the south, I am sure he would be
wanting to go there!" So saying, she went away;
but having heard her, Avarunguak could not sleep, so
great was his desire to go at once. Already the next
morning he ordered his housemates to make ready for
the voyage ; he wanted to be off for the south, he said.
They loaded the boat and got under way. On the
way out they asked the people they encountered whether
the place was still far off, and all made answer that it
was not very nigh yet. At length they put on shore, to
rest from the toil of ro^ng, at a place where the people
said that to-morrow they might possibly gain their desti-
nation. " When ye leave here, and have doubled the
cape, ye will come in sight of a very large tent — this ye
must shun ; but soon afterwards yp will perceive a little
* Alca arra — Greenlandisli^ agpa.
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178 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
white point, and having also passed this, ye will fall in
with a great many people. To those ye shall go up."
On leaving, they soon observed the little white promon-
tory right enough. Avarunguak steered his boat to-
wards the large tent, unheeding the advice of his com-
panions. On landing, a huge man came out from the
tent towards them, and receiving them very civilly,
went on saying, " It is really a matter of difficulty to get
any one to keep company with here ; pray stay and live
with me ; " and accordingly they prepared for wintering
there.
Every morning Avarunguak awoke at an early hour,
but somehow his housemate was always out and oif
before him. One day in autumn he happened to meet
him on their look-out hill ; and when the huge man ob-
served him, he said, " It will soon be the time when the
auks will come screaming across the country ; then thou
must be sure to get up in good time." But rise as
early as he might, Avarunguak was never able to be
beforehand with his companion, but always found he
had gone out first. One day, when he again overtook
him on the hill, he said, " There, the auks are coming
across the sea. Make haste to thy tent ; but mind, shut
the curtain closely, so that only one bird can get in
at a time ; and do not begin to catch any of them until
the tent is quite full." When Avarunguak had entered
and drawn the curtain close, he heard a tapping and
rustling, and the birds began to flutter in. He could
not, however, take time, but began catching them too
soon, upon which the birds instantly left ; and at the
same time he heard the man scolding, and saying,
" Didst thou not mind my telling thee that thou wert
not to catch them till the tent was quite full, lest I
should be in want of food ? " Still, Avarunguak had
got a great many birds, quite sufficient to live upon for
a good length of time. Some time after, his house-fellow
said, " Now it is near the time for the walrus, but I do
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not pursue them ; the red walrus is a very ferocious
beast, and at that time I do not venture out at all."
When these animals appeared, Avarunguak grew very
excited about going, taking a great interest in all kinds
of hunting that were new to him. When he lanced his
first walrus, his big companion came down to the beach,
took half of the walrus, and dragging it along with only
one hand, passed by Avarunguak*s tent, and carried it
off to his own. Avarunguak wondered, and said to
himself, " I doubt if I shall have a taste of my first wal-
rus ; " and entering, he saw the big man busy eating it
all by himself, his wife and daughter only looking on ;
but he did not dare to make any objections. Next time
he got a walrus the big man's wife came, and at once
carried off his prize, and, after her, their three daughters
did the same by turns. Not until they had all got
their walrus did they desist ; and then, at last, he could
think of providing for the ensuing winter. In the be-
ginning his huge friend proposed that they should come
and live all together in his house ; and when Avarun-
guak consented, the big man added, "We are five
individuals ourselves, and consequently have five win-
dows. Now I suppose that thou wilt add as many as
ye count persons." To this Avarunguak answered,
" Why, we have never built any more than two or three
windows for a company of travellers, with only one
boat, whatever their number may be." ^ " Then jvist do
as thou mayst like, and put in two or three windows, but
only do come and live with us." In the beginning of
winter Avarunguak always caught plenty ; but the big
man having no kayak of his own, never went out. As
time wore on, the sea froze up, and all hunting ceased.
The master of the hotyje *then spoke, " Here we are all
badly off; but I know mat behind our country there is
good hunting enough, and thither we intend to go to-
^ A house with three windows is considered a very large one ; those with
five must have been very rare.
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l80 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
morrow." Avarunguak had a great mind to accompany
them ; but the other asked him, " How swift mayst
thou be ? " " Why, I think I can run a race with any
of the quadrupeds." But still the man was very unwil-
ling to take him with him, and only consented at last
after much beseeching. The next day they departed,
all of them carrying cords of sealskin round their necks.
They crossed the neighbouring mountains, and in the
distance beheld a bare land, and then the big man
spoke : " Dost thou see yonder lofty mountains far
away ? Behind, there is a sea where the wAite wliale in
abundance are found ; but when we get so far, thou
must only aim at the small ones, because thou wilt not
be expert enough to carry home one of the larger ones."
As they wandered along, the daughters had to take hold
of Avarunguak by his arms to help him along, because
he was not quite able to keep up with them. When
they reached the appointed place, each of them watched
at a cleft in the ice. No sooner did Avarunguak
see a huge white whale rise to the surface than he at
once aimed at and killed it. Then the other party came
on, each of them bringing up two fish ; but when the
master saw that Avarunguak had disobeyed his orders,
he gave him a scolding ; and when they prepared to re-
turn, they wanted to tie his fish to their own, and make
him sit down on the top of it, and thus be dragged
home. But he answered, " Since I commenced hunting
I have never let my game be carried home by any one
but myself, nor shall I do so now. I have caught the
fish myself, and will take care to bring it home." They
let him have his own way, but in a moment they disap-
peared from his sight, as if they had been blown away.
It was evening, and again beginning to dawn, before
he could even see his home, and he met the others com-
ing back to fish anew. It was not till the fourth day he
got home ; and on the way he had been obliged to eat
all the matak (skin) of his dolphin. Meanwhile his
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relatives had been very anxious about him, thinking
that perhaps his companion had killed him. About this
time, Avarunguak's people had a dog that happened to
whelp. When the first whelp appeared, the huge man
whispered something to his wife, on which she brought
it him, and he took hold of it and examined all its joints.
The wife then put it back in its place, and subsequently
brought each new-born whelp to him to be examined in
the same way ; but when they had handled the seventh,,
which was also the last, they were heard saying, " This
one is perfect ; there is not a limb wanting." From that
time they seemed despondent ; and Avarunguak, who
began to fear their intentions, one day said to them,
"If you would like to have a dog, you are welcome to
take the one you like best." This seemed to please
them highly, and they chose the last born, and became
so fond of it that they let it stop on the ledge and sleep
at night beside them. From this time Avarunguak
himself became a great favourite with his other house-
fellows. While the winter lasted, the big man once
spoke as follows, " We intend soon to go and visit our
enemies." Avarunguak was very desirous to join the
party, but his house-master answered him, " No, friend ;
thou wouldst too soon be worn out : for, in the first place,
thou canst not eat blubber and flesh enough ; and
secondly, because of thy clumsiness and want of speed."
He answered, " As to the blubber and flesh, methinks
I do well enough as regards both of them." Whereat
the big one rejoined, " Well, then, try to lick out the oil
of all the lamps here, beginning with the outermost."
Avarunguak succeeded ; and only a few days after, the
leader told him " that now he might accompany them
to their enemies," adding, " when we have entered, and
begin licking the oil, thou must be sure to help us.
Next they will present each of us with one large white
fish, and thou must thrust thy knife right into it, turn
it round, and put the piece thou has cut out into tlw
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mouth, and suddenly exclaim, * I must go outside, but
I will be back in a moment, and go on eating ; I enjoy
it very much/ But when outside take to thy heels, and
run for home as fast as possible, and before thou hast
been off long, we shall empty the lamps, and soon over-
take thee." Some time after, they carried out their
intention of visiting their enemies in their place of
abode. They at once set about licking the oil of the
lamps, beginning with the first, Avarunguak joining
them to the best of his ability. When the hosts saw a
stranger among their visitors, they regarded him keenly,
so that the huge man interposed : " That is a new house-
mate of ours ; he is living with us at present, and assists
us every way," — and they went on praising and flatter-
ing him very much, and making a great deal of his dex-
terity and strength, adding that he was more than a
match for them every way. This was anything but the
truth ; but they dared not do otherwise, for fear of their
enemies. The host now said, " Bring in the meal for
the visitors," and the women instantly went out, and re-
turned, bringing in large white fish. The guests soon
fell to ; but Avarunguak forgot he had been advised to
leave off in good time, and never remembered till he
was quite satisfied. He then observed his companions
making signs to him, and quickly pronouncing the
words he had been told, took himself off, and com-
menced running as fast as possible. On coming near
their own house he turned round, and looking back, he
saw that the creatures he had been visiting were trans-
formed into bears, pursuing him closely ; but his own
housemates soon overtook him, and the daughters again
took him by the arms to speed him on. When they
had almost reached the house, the enemies seemed at
their very heels, and Avarunguak was deserted by his
protectors, who gave him a blow, so that he fell, and the
bears instantly gathered round him. But he chanced to
have a salmon for his amulet, and this did him good
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 183
service in making him too slippery to be caught hold of,
and thus he escaped. When spring came round, Avar-
unguak took a fancy to remove to another place ; and
on departing, his huge companion said to him, " I hope
thou wilt soon return and stay with us ; but wherever
thou goest, mind to tell the people never to kill a bear
when one appears." Thus they departed ; but on turn-
ing round, they now saw that their housemates too had
been transformed into bears : they had been wintering
among bears in human shape. Later on they heard
that some people in the south had killed a bear, and
still later Avarunguak and his wife died.
20.
THE GIRL WHO MARRIED AN
ATLIARUSEK.i
AN aged couple had a daughter who had a great
many suitors ; but the old people were very
selfish, and wanted to keep her at home. Meanwhile
a man came who was very anxious to get the daughter.
At last he fought them, and had nearly killed them;
but the old man escaped, and got into his boat. The
other men of the place despised and scorned him ; but
they got the boat loaded, and left. The others shouted
to him contemptuously, " It won't be easy for thee to get
a husband for thy daughter ! The poor old thing, who
is quite unable to hunt — ^he to dare reject any one I
Only let him come to be in want of necessaries, and
* The atliaruseksy probably identical with the ingnersuaks, were a sort
of elves or gnomes, supposed to have their abodes within rocks along the
sea-shore.
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then look out if there be any one to help him ! " But
he set off without deigning to answer them, and landed
at one of the outermost islets. There they built their
house, and put up for the winter. One morning the old
man awoke, saying, "I wonder what I have just been
seeing? Methinks I saw a man gliding through the
doorway." He questioned his daughter ; but she keep-
ing silence, he got suspicious. When he awoke the next
morning, he saw a real man slip out of the doorway ;
and on being closely questioned, the daughter confessed
that she was married to an atliarusek.^ On hearing this,
the father was very happy ; but she went on saying,
" For fear thou wouldst not like him, he keeps out of
sight ; but if thou dost not mind, he will come and live
with us." The father said it was all right, and he might
come and take up his quarters with them at once. The
next morning the old man, on awakening, turned his eyes
towards the entrance, but saw nothing remarkable there ;
but on turning round to his daughter's resting-place, he
saw a stout man sitting there beneath her lamp. The
father was very well pleased, and leaned back on his
couch ; but listening again, and peeping out, the man
was not to be seen. Towards evening the daughter
several times left the room. At last she stayed away
rather long, but after some time returned with a hunt-
ing-line, which she hung up on a nail to dry, saying that
he had returned and brought home the produce of his
hunt, but that he must take some part of it to his
relatives. When her parents went outside, they saw
many seals on the beach, and they rejoiced very much
at their sudden prosperity. The following morning the
old man peeped over the screen of the ledge, and there
beheld the stranger reposing beside his daughter. The
old nian again lay down, believing him to be asleep.
In a little while, however, he heard something stirring,
at which he arose ; but the son-in-law had already taken
himself off. He again spoke to his daughter, saying,
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" Why do you not make him come and stay with us ?
We like him very well indeed." In the evening, when
he again returned with his catch, he went inside and
made himself at home ; and the parents were very civil
to him. In the spring he wanted to go further inland
along the fiord-side, as was generally his custom, but
told them that he was obliged to join his parents, he
being their only son, and as such he ought not to let his
sisters be without protection. He then went away to
his own home ; and when they again met, he told them
that now they were ready for starting. On hearing this,
his father-in-law likewise put his boat into the water;
and when it was ready loaded, and they were going to
set off, another boat appeared, coming straight out of
the beach. Both went along together, and made the
land at the same time in the evening. Next morning
they again started ; and when they approached an in-
habited place, the head-man of the atliaruseks told them
always to keep close in their wake ; and all of a sudden
they saw his boaLt sink beneath the surface, and totally
disappear. At this sight the old man got rather
frightened ; but on arriving at the spot, their boat dived
down in the same manner, without any damage to the
crew. Presently they caught sight of their companions'
boat right ahead of them, and they continued their
course beneath the waves of the sea. Having safely
passed the inhabited places, they once more rose to the
surface, and continued their voyage without further
peril ; and when they had arrived at their place of
destination, went reindeer-hunting, and got their boats
fully laden. When the old people had again taken
up their winter-quarters, the son-in-law provided amply
for them, and they prospered and were well off. About
this time intelligence reached them that the men who
had once scorned and abused them were living in great
want, and the old man determined to help them. He
loaded his kayak with matak, and brought it to
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them. On his arrival, they asked him whence he had
got it — ^whether it was not taken from the carcass of
a whale that had been driven on shore accidentally.
However, he left them without deigning them an answer
to this question ; and talking over this matter on his
return home, the son-in-law exclaimed, " I should really
like to have a look at these people ; " whereat the old
man went back to fetch off all the men who had for-
merly been his daughter's suitors, and returned with a
large train of kayaks following him. They landed, and
were very hospitably received,'and regaled with reindeer-
meat and seal-flesh ; and when they had satisfied their
appetite, the old man accosted them thus : " I wonder
if ye can still remember what ye were telling me a long
time ago when ye had nearly killed me, wanting by
main force my daughter for your wife ? Your wordis
were these : 'Thou wilt surely never get a clever husband
for thy daughter.* But you see I have, for all that.
Likewise ye said that ye would deny me your assist-
ance if ever I came in want : now help yourself, if ye
please, and eat as much as ever ye like."
21.
THE LOST DAUGHTER.
AN old woman lived with her three children, two
sons and a daughter. The sons were good
hunters, and loved their sister exceedingly. As time
passed on, the mother observed a change in her
daughter's manners ; and one day it happened that
she went out by herself, and stayed away for good.
The brothers sought her far and wide ; but at last they
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gave it up, and again took to kayaking and hunting,
and now lived alone with their mother. But one day,
when she was all by herself in the house, and had lain
down to rest on the ledge beneath the skin coverlet, she
remarked a thing like a shadow gliding across the
doorway, and on turning that way beheld her long-lost
daughter ; and perceiving the amawt (hood) she wore,
she asked her to come and sit beside her, and admired
her beautiful clothes, the amowt particularly, which Wcis
made of soft jnd thin reindeer-skin. When a low cry
was heard from within it, the mother asked her to take
out the little one she was carrying to let her see it. But
the daughter answered her, " What I carry on my back
is no human being. Thou hadst better hide thyself
beneath thy skin coverlet." The mother accordingly
did so ; but peeping through a small opening, she was
dreadfully alarmed at seeing her daughter produce a
large reptile, which she allowed to bite her lips so as to
make them bleed ; and having caressed it in a motherly
way, she let it suck at her breast Then having replaced
it in her amowt, she asked her mother to look up again,
upon which the latter asked her, " Where is thy dwell-
ing-place, child ? " " My house lies far from here, in a
very large valley ; but my husband is not of human
race : so none of you must ever think of coming to see
me," she added, and left. In the evening, when the
sons returned, the mother told them what had happened,
saying, " I have seen your sister, but in a very low and
contemptible state. Only think ! she carried a vile rep-
tile in her amowt, and was also married to such a one ! "
The brothers got into a great rage on hearing this, and
at once prepared their bows and arrows to attack the
vermin. Starting together, they took the direction which
their mother had pointed out to them, and soon found
the great house in the valley. After a careful inspection
of all the mountains, they ventured to peep through the
window, and there saw their sister comfortably seated
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in a snug and well-furnished room. They entered at
once, killed her offspring, and having torn it to pieces,
threw it outside. They did not leave their sorrowing
sister during the day-time, but towards evening they
saw her dreadful husband approaching the place from
some remote part of the country : its size was like the
wall of a house; and in its mouth it carried a large
reindeer. When it came nearer, the brothers went out
to hide themselves at the back of the house, whence they
saw the reptile drop the reindeer on the ground, and
afterwards enter the house. They again ventured a
peep through the window, and saw the creature twining
itself closely round the body of their sister, so that only
the tuft of her hair was visible. They tightened the
strings of their bows, keeping them ready bent, and then
made a little noise, in order to alarm the beast. The
instant it emerged from the house, it was aimed at from
both sides by the brothers ; and when all their arrows
had been spent, they finished it off and killed it with
their spears. Having accomplished this, they made for
their home, bringing their sister along with them, as well
as all her things, and some dried reindeer. And now
the sister was once more with her parents ; and they
warned her to leave off her former bad habits. After a
little, however, her manner towards them again suddenly
changed ; and they perceived that she was always carry-
ing something about in her hand. This appeared to be
a small worm or reptile, with black streaks round its
body. Every day it grew in size, so that before long
both sides appeared out of her hand ; and now she dis-
appeared a second time. The brothers again went in
search of her, this time taking their mother along with
them ; but she soon died on her way ; and one brother
had his Iqg broken: and henceforth they gave up all
hope of ever finding their sister.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 1 89
22.
ANGUTISUGSUK.
THERE were three brothers, the eldest of whom
was called Angutisugsuk. They had never lived
apart ; and all of them were clever hunters, especially
Angutisugsuk. One winter the Weather was dreadfully
severe, and all the neighbours were in great want. Only
the three brothers had enough to spare, and the others
claimed their assistance. It so happened that two old
men came to them with that intention ; and during their
visit the wife of Angutisugsuk remonstrated, saying
that they were having rather too many visitors about
the place, at which the old men quickly took offence ;
and in spring-time, when Angutisugsuk's family left
their winter - quarters, and were away on some long
excursion, they visited the place in their kayaks, entered
the empty house, and practised all manner of sorcery
and witchcraft upon the wall adjoining the ledge occu-
pied by Angutisugsuk's wife, in order to produce di3Cord
among the family when they came back from their
travels. In autumn they all returned to the old house
as usual. One day Angutisugsuk did not go out kayak-
ing, but stayed at home to make a wooden plate and
spoon. At that time he had got two wives, both of
whom were very clever at needle-work ; and he offered
to give her who would mend his fiir jacket for him the
wooden plate and spoon. The first wife made answer,
before the second could put in a word, " I want to have
them — I will mend the jacket;" and she worked very
quickly on it The second wife, however, who happened
to be the best beloved, on her part became envious, and
got into a passion. Perceiving this, the husband struck
her, because of her having borne him no children. At
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this his youngest son began crying ; and seeing it, the
child's uncle fell upon the father, who was still ill-treat-
ing his second wife. In this fight Angutisugsuk thrust
his brother against the door-sill with such force that his
thigh-bone was bruised ; and he would have followed up
his advantage over him but for the younger brother and
some others, who interfered in the quarrel. Thus it came
to pass as the old men had planned when they went
and bewitched the empty house in their absence. After
having lamed his brother, Angutisugsuk next day loaded
his boat and went off in it, taking a small roofless house
for himself which he found a little north of his former
station ; and as a substitute for roof-beams he made a
shift with his tent-poles. His proper wife he left behind,
and only took the second one along with him. Seeing
that his brother was now able to stir, he resolved to
kill him, and repeatedly returned to despatch him ; but
somehow he always found his younger brother or his
nephew by his side, and never succeeded in accom-
plishing his end. These two watched the sick man by
turns ; and only one at a time went out in his kayak.
Angutisugsuk one day encountered his nephew at sea,
and resQlved to pursue him ; but as soon as they came
within sight of the house on shore, he left off and turned
back. When the nephew got home, he told them that
Angutisugsuk had been persecuting him ; and his father
(viz., the invalid) said, " To-morrow thou must go and
ask our neighbours to assist us in getting Angutisugsuk
out of the way, because he has gone raving mad ; but
two or three men will not suffice, for he is immensely
strong himself." The son went the following morning
to several stations, and brought a considerable party of
kayakers along with him ; and the invalid accosted
them, saying, "Let us agree to kill Angutisugsuk. Every
day he comes this way intending to take my life ; but
as soon as he sees anybody staying with me, he desists
and turns back." All the men prepared to pass the
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night there, hiding their kayaks behind the house ; and
early in the morning they saw Angutisugsuk in his
kayak emerging from behind a rocky point close by.
As nobody was to be seen, and he did not even observe
the kayaks of his brother and nephew, he supposed them
to be off, and made for the shore as fast as possible.
An old man among the strangers now drew his hood
closer to his head, and pronounced a magic spell, adding
that, if it were likely to succeed, Angutisugsuk as a sure
sign would turn the back of his hands downwards,
instead of using the palms in ascending the beach.
Watching him very closely, they noticed that he did as
the old man had foretold, and they no longer had any
doubt of their success. Having got out on the beach,
he only drew his kayak half-way out of the water, and
went straight up to the house as if to enter it at once ;
but bethinking himself of something, turned back to the
large boat to get hold of a flensing-knife, and then pro-
ceeded to the entry. The men were all reclining on the
side-ledge couches except two, who stood posted at the
inner entrance ready to seize him. When he saw his
brother sitting on the main ledge, he addressed him in
the following words, saying, " Here is a brave man for
thee! I'll show thee the way to fight! Didst thou
really believe I did not intend to kill thee?" Thus
si)eaking, he advanced a step or two, but was soon seized
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by the two men, and quickly disarmed. He was at
once conducted outside, where all the rest fell upon
him ; but nobody could manage to overthrow him. At
last, when they had got him hamstrung, he fell ; whereat
they seized him, and held a council as to which of them
should first stab him. At last the invalid brother was
carried out, in order that he might finish him off. They
put him down close beside the other, and he said, " Go
and fetch me my spear from under the boat." When
he had got it, he lanced his brother several times in the
shoulder, saying, " Now let go your hold ; if he boasts
himself a man, he will be sure to rise." He did get up,
and went towards his kayak on the beach, but fell down
dead before he reached it. Then the surviving brother
exclaimed, "Alas! we have killed him who did well
towards us. In the short, dark days, when we were
almost starving, he did not mind toiling away for us. I
am sorry indeed : now do kill me also !" He asked his
brother, his son, and all the other men ; but finding that
nobody would do it, he said, " Well, then, go and fetch
his second wife, and kill her at any rate ; it was she who
began it all." They did so ; and the person who slew
her admonished the bystanders, saying, "Now put
together all her things, and all her clothes, all her
jackets of reindeer-skin, her breeches and boots of seal-
skin— get them all together, and carry them along with
her ; and mind you close up the burial-place well, and
heap plenty of stones on top of it" Later on, when
the invalid recovered, he felt great remorse for his act of
violence ; but the old magician was quite satisfied that
Angutisugsuk should have been killed by his brother.
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23.
SITLIARNAT.
[This tale having much resemblance to Nos. i6 and I9,jthe text is
here somewhat abridged.]
THEI^E were three brothers, the eldest of whom
was named Sitliarnat One day they all went
out hunting on the frozen sea, accompanied by a person
who was in no way related to them. All of a sudden a
south-east storm arose, the ice creaked and gave way
beneath their feet, and nothing remained to them but
to mount an iceberg. Having got there, they drifted
far away out on the great ocean. They were nearly
starving with hunger when they at length touched upon
an unknown shore and landed there. They now went
roaming about the country in search of people, and
passed an isthmus on which they observed a little hut
with only one window. Sitliarnat then spoke, " Let
them make me their first prize ; " and he went on and
crossed the threshold in front of his companions. In-
side the house they only found an old couple, who
seemed to be its sole inhabitants. The four strangers
seated themselves on the ledge; but finding that no-
body spoke, the old man began to eye them more
closely, and having breathed upon them, asked them,-
" Whence do you come ? " Sitliarnat answered him,
" Some time ago we set off from the land on the other
side of the ocean, and went out on the ice to catch seals ;
but a gale from the south-east came on, breaking up the
ice and drifting us across to your country. So here we
are ; three of us are brothers, and the fourth is a com-
panion of ours." Turning to his wife the old man
observed, " After travelling so far people are apt to get
hungry/* upon which they added some words which the
people did not understand. The wife fetched some
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194 TALES AND TRADITIONS,
blubber in a pan, put it on to boil, and gave it them
served up in a wooden dish; but though they were
almost fainting with hunger, they only tasted a very
little of it. Soon after, however, a proper meal was set
before them, and then the old man said to them, " Our
only provider is staying away a long time ; we have
been expecting him back this last month. He left us
to go out hunting, and has not yet returned ; we are
much afraid he may have encountered some wicked
people and have come to grief* While he was thus
speaking, the guests began to think, " What sort of
people may these be ? " Meanwhile the visitors stayed
on, and for some time the old man provided food for
them. One morning, when they were all sitting to-
gether, they heard a voice calling from without, *' I want
to get in ; do let me get in ! " whereat the old man rose
from his seat and went outside, but soon returned
holding his son by the hand, who was looking very pale
and haggard. After supper he lay down on the side
ledge, and remained thus for several days, until one
morning when he rose up very early. He had now re-
covered his health and strength as well as his appetite,
and had regained his former aspect also, and again
took up his task as provider of the household ; but
strange to say, he was never seen to carry any weapons.
The visitors meanwhile prolonged their stay for several
years ; and one evening the old man, addressing the
eldest brother, questioned him, "What did they give
thee for thy amulet when thou wert born ? " Sitliamat
replied, '* In my infancy I got a carrion-gull^ one of
those that always seek the carrion farthest out to sea."
On hearing this the old man responded, "So thou
mayst be sure of returning to thy own country at some
time or other." One of the brothers now put in, "All
of us have got the same bird for our anjulets ;" but
when the stranger was asked, he told them that his was*
a raven, a bird that always seeks his prey landward ;
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on which the old man replied, " I doubt if thou wilt ever
see thy country again, if it is so/' The old man used
to rise the earliest of them all, and when the others at
length came out, he was always seen to be on some
mountain-top, marking the state of the air and the
weather. He one day entered with this remark, " When
the wind goes down and the weather gets settled, I
shall take you across." But they wondered, and said,
"How will he manage to carry us yonder, as there is
no ice at present, and neither boats nor kayaks are to
be seen hereabouts, and we don't even know in what
direction our country is situated f " One morning when
they were still fast asleep, he cried, " It is no time for
sleeping now. Make haste and get up, if ye really
long for your homes; I shall see you along myself :" and
they now rose as quickly as possible, and followed him
down to the steep shore, where they had landed years
ago. Here the old man said, " Now watch me ! " Then
taking a run, he leapt into the sea, dived down, and reap-
peared in the shape of a bear, saying, " If Sitliarnat
really has a gull for his amulet, it will soon appear to
him. Do as I have done, and throw thyself into the
water." Sitliarnat, however, still lingered a little ; but
the bear went on, "If thou dost not follow me into the
ocean, thou wilt never get home." Sitliarnat now ran
on and took the leap ; and as soon as he had plunged
down, he again rose and merely touched the surface
with his feet, gliding along as if he were on solid ice,
instead of being on the waves of the sea. At the same
time the gull also made its appearance, and a large ice-
berg was seen which he climbed, both his brothers
following him. The old man now turned to the fourth,
saying, " Thou, too, wouldst like to return, I know ; now
try thy wings !" He, too, plunged into the sea, trying .
.to fly, but went right down instead, and would have
lost breatR but for the bear, who put him on shore,
saying, " No, thou wilt never get home, because thou
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196 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
hast got a raven for thy amulet ; thou canst return to
my house as before." The bear now spoke to the three,
" Shut your eyes and sit close together. If ye open
your eyes, ye will never get home. I shall now put my
shoulder to the iceberg, and push you away." Presently
their place of refuge began to shake beneath them, and
they had started on their journey. Thus they moved
onwards until they at last felt a quake as if they were
touching something hard. Here the bear ordered them
to open their eyes, and they beheld a country spreading
before them, and recognised it as their own. They had
landed just a little south of what had been their former
habitation. They asked the bear to enter, that they
might recompense him in some way or other ; but he
said, "No, I don't care for being paid — I merely in-
tended to do you a good turn ; but when in winter-time
ye should happen to see a bear with a bald head, and
your companions prepare to hunt him down, then try
to make them desist, and put some food before him."
After these words he plunged into the sea, and instantly
disappeared. The brothers now went up to their former
house, and knew it to be inhabited because of some
little boys who were seen at play outside. These chil-
dren had been named after them by their parents, in
remembrance of their lost friends. Their wives had all
married again ; but their other relatives rejoiced greatly
at receiving those whom they had given up for lost a
long time ago. Inquiries were also made about their
companion, but they answered that they had left him
" on the opposite shore." Perceiving that the husbands
of their own former wives feared them, they reassured
them, saying, " We don't intend any harm towards you.
Many thanks to you that ye have provided so well for
our relatives." But the wives, nevertheless, were given
back to them. During the winter the bear was almost
forgotten, till one evening, when they were all at home,
some of the men exclaimed, " A bear is making for the
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shore ! " When they were collecting their arms, the
brothers interfered, crying, "Just wait a little ; we must
first have a look at him." They instantly recognised
their own bear, and said to the others, "Without his
good aid we should never have reached hofne again.
Don't hunt that bear ; make haste and give him a feast."
When the bear had got on shore, he went right up to
the house, sat down on his haunches before the entrance,
his head turned towards it. The people put several
entire seals before him, and beckoned him to eat ; and
all the men gathered round him. When the meal was
ended, the bear lay down to sleep, while the children
played round him. After a while he awoke, and having
eaten a little more, he arose, and following his own
traces back to the beach, leapt into the sea, and was
never seen any more. It is said that the descendants
of Sitliarnat were very prosperous and multiplied
greatly.
24.
THE REINDEER-HUNT OF MERKISALIK.
[This story is compiled from two copies, one of which had been noted
down in North Greenland before 1828.]
MERKISALIK had only one son to assist him in
providing for his family. In the summer-time
they always used to hunt along the shores of the same
fiord without any other company. Growing old and
infirm, Merkisalik at length had to give up hunting and
leave the providing to his son. Once when they had
again taken up their abode at the fiord, and the son, as
was his wont, had gone out hunting, the old people were
left by themselves, expecting no visitors. Taking a turn
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198 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
outside the tent, they suddenly observed a boat sailing
up the inlet right before the wind, accompanied by
several kayakers. Merkisalik was much pleased at this
sight, and ordered his wife to put out some dry meat,
to let them have a bite on landing. He rejoiced to
think that his son should henceforth have companions
on his hunting excursions. There were a great number
of men among the visitors, some of whom were old and
rather talkative and entertaining. When the son re-
turned from the mountains, he was likewise very glad of
the company they had got. He treated them with the
utmost hospitality, and invited them to partake of the
meal as soon as it was boiled and ready. Meanwhile
they all conversed very politely, and soon agreed in going
out together the next day. They did so, and before
long came in sight of a number of animals feeding on
the grass down in the vallej^s. When the drivers were
all sent out, the hunters proceeded to make walls of
earth, furnished with loopholes. The visitors now pro-
posed that Merkisalik's son should be the last to shoot,
and he agreed ; but when the drivers had surrounded
the animals, and began to drive them on towards the
loopholed walls, the .thought struck him, "What if they
are too greedy to leave me any chance at all i " Mean-
while the others took aim, and shot all that were to be
got. He afterwards assisted them in stripping off the
skins ; but on their descending the hills towards the
tents, he remained a little behind. When the strangers
returned they at once set their women to cook and pre-
pare a meal, to which Merkisalik and his people were in-
vited. During supper one of the men remarked, " There
must be any amount of animals in this place, since even
Merkisalik's son is capable of getting at them." The
Merkisaliks heard this slight in silence ; but after-
wards, when they got into their own tent and sat down
together, the father said, " It can't be other^vise ; we
must just let them have their way, seeing thatj;hey are
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SO many/' The following day was spent in the same
manner ; they treated Merkisalik's son as they had done
the day before, only allowing him to take up his position
as far away as possible from the drivers : but on their
way home he again kept back a little. Before long,
however, he rejoined them, and on their return home
the Merkisaliks were again invited to eat of the day s
hunt The man who the day before had scorned Mer-
kisalik's son, now spoke to him in a similar fashion, at
which he got into a great passion. However, they set
out together the next day, and got to the entrance of a
great valley, which appeared to be almost overcrowded
with reindeer. As before, they ordered him to choose his
hiding-place, and make his loophole behind them all, at
which he murmured to himself, "If this is to go on, I shall
never be able to get anything. I think I will give the
beasts the alarm, that they may all run away." When
the flock approached, driven by the drivers, he feigned
to be busy about something or other. At last he was
warned to be quiet, that the animals might not see him ;
but he only stopped a moment, and then began to move
about again. In the mean time the flock was close by,
when, all of a sudden, the leader stopped short, turned
round, and bounded off" as fast as possible. On perceiv-
ing this, the others began to follow him, but dropped
short one after another, so that at the other end of the
valley but one of them had kept up with him, and this
one soon tired out ; and when he was about to mount
the slope he was left quite alone. Merkisalik's son
shortly disappeared on the other side of the hills, pursu-
ing the fast-running animals. Slowly the men followed
in his traces : but when they got to the top of the hill,
they beheld numbers of deer with white bellies ready
killed in the valley on the other side ; and on a stone
close by, the huntsman was seated, already quite cool
and refreshed. The others now arrived, their faces all
red with heat and wrath, and nobody spoke. They at
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once set to work, stripping the deer; but while tiie
others finished one, he stripped and cut up two, and
packing his bundle, he said, " Ye may all of you take as
much as ye like." The man who had formerly ridiculed
and mocked him did not altogether like this speech, but
became quite mute, and would not join the rest. On the
way home they separated. Merkisalik's son had now got
into his old ways, and was in front of the rest. Carrying
his burden on his back, and now and then resting him-
self a little, he got home first of all. When the others
came without anything, the Merkisaliks had already all
their pots and pans on the fire, and, after their wont,
invited the foreigners to join them. During the meal the
host tried to begin a conversation, but without success ;
they all remained mute, and even their old father kept
silent. Having done eating, they retired, excepting the
father, who now began to be a little talkative, and, as if
by chance, remarked, " We want something that would
do for a gimlet ; would ye mind letting me have that
knuckle i " Merkisalik gave it to him willingly, saying,
" We have got lots of them." On the following morn-
ing the Merkisaliks were aroused by a clattering noise,
as of poles, and peeping out, they saw the visitors pull-
ing down their tent and preparing to depart. Thus
they were once more alone ; and their son again went
out hunting all by himself. One day, when he was still
busy bringing down the deer he had stalked to their
station, he told them that he had got a swelling at his
knee. It grew in size, and was getting worse and worse.
The parents were much distressed, and at length he
died, but not till he had made known to them that his
disease was solely caused by the father of their former
visitors, who, in order to hurt him, had bewitched the
knee-joint he had asked of them, which had worked
back upon him and killed him. The poor old people
were inconsolable. It was now autumn ; the little lakes
began to be covered with ice, and it was time to leave
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the inland country for the sea-coast : so one fine morning
they made preparations to go. They first wept at the
tomb of their son, and, still wailing and complaining,
they went down the firth with a light easterly breeze.
Having arrived at their winter-quarters, Merkisalik's
mind was filled with hatred, and he was always contem-
plating revenge. In order to carry it out, he resolved
to make a tupilak to destroy his enemies. To this end
he every day collected bones of all sorts of animals, and
put them into the brook close by to whiten, and then
mixed them up with hairs taken from boat-skins ; and
when he had got as many as he required, he made them
alive, and put them into the brook which flowed on to the
sea. While he was watching the tupilak, he saw it was
taking the shape of an agpaliarsuk} that dived down
and turned round to its owner ; but he said, " Thou art
not the thing I want thee to be yet." Instantly it
dived down and reappeared in the shape of a dovekier
Again he said, "That won't do neither." It under-
went many changes and took the shape of all sorts
of birds ; but he rejected them all. Then it was trans-
formed into all manner of seals and dolphins ; but they
did not suit him either. At last, after another dive be-
neath the surface of the water, its breath was heard like
a mighty roar, and he beheld a small whale, and then
he said, " This will do ; thou shalt avenge us." The ani-
mal now seemed to inquire, " Where am I to go } " and
he replied, " To the hunting place of the many brothersy
At these words it took one long breath, then dived
down into the sea ; and the man returned home and
bided his time, waiting to hear how the family would
fare who lived a little to the north of them. One even-
ing a kayaker appeared rounding the northern point,
and in him he soon recognised a poor relative and very
old man, who for some time had had his quarters at the
^ The smallest auk, Mergulns alle.
• Another common sea-fowl, Uria grylU,
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202 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
same place as their former visitors. On their way from
the beach up to the house, he related what follows:
" Some days ago an accident occurred up at our place ;
one of the many brothers has not returned home. The
day before his departure he told us that he had har-
pooned a little whale, adding that he would now go out
in search of it ; but he has never yet returned." The
maker of the tupilak feigned compassion, saying, " He
must, of course, have managed awkwardly somehow ; "
but inwardly he rejoiced at this intelligence. When
the visitor departed, he asked him soon to return, but
he did not do so for a good long while. When at
length he did come, he again reported : " Yesterday the
same accident happened to another of the brothers."
When the visitor was about to depart, Merkisalik en-
couraged him soon to return, saying, " We are always
glad to see thee ; now come back as soon as thou canst."
After another long interval he once came back, and told
them that the last of the brothers had now disappeared,
adding that the poor parents were very much grieved
because of their bereavement. On hearing this, Mer-
kisalik's wrath was somewhat appeased.
25.
N A M A K.
[Of this story there is only one manuscript, written down in North
Greenland before 1828.]
THE parents of Namak were both killed by their
house-fellows ; and while he was as yet but a
weak and helpless child, a man happened to take pity on
him and adopted him for his son. But this same foster-
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father was fond of worrying the boy, and inventing
stories to frighten and excite him. Sometimes, when the
child was asleep, he would cry out, " Namak, thy ene-
mies have come to kill thee, too." At first he was
much alarmed, but by degrees he got used to it. But
sometimes his foster-father would say, " Ah, how forget-
ful that Namak is ! Here are his parents newly murdered,
and he forgetting all about it." At this, Namak would
get into a great rage. When he was still a child, his
father one day made him a present of a sling, saying,
'* I don't mean to give thee a kayak, because I believe
that thy enemies will kill thee for all that ; but take
this sling and practise with it." Namak instantly began
to do so, and soon got very clever in using it. In the
spring he would betake himself to solitary places, prac-
tising his sling, always pondering over the things his
foster-father had said to stir up vengeance within him.
At home he spoke little, but inwardly rejoiced at his
growing strength. Sometimes he brought in hares, and
sometimes ptarmigan ; he got them entirely by means
of his sling. In the summer he never slept at night, but
always in the day-time. Sometimes, when he had gone
to sleep, his father would bring home a seal, and he was
then awakened to assist in carrying it up to the house ;
but he would then hide his strength, and make-believe
it was very hard work for him. One day, however, he
said that his sling was too weak, and his father went to
cut him a stronger one out of a very thick piece of seal-
skin ; and after that time he left off gibing the boy,
because he began to fear him. During the winter it was
reported that the enemies of Namak intended to remove
farther to the north in spring. He got quite enraged at
the thought that they would be going away before he
could be revenged ; and from that day his manner
changed altogether. When spring came round, and
they left their winter-house for the tents, he one day
said, " I wish I could get myself a new sling.*' On .
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204 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
hearing this the father went out in his kayak, and
had the good - luck to catch a thong - seal.^ This
he brought in while Namak was still asleep. When
the women were busy flensing it, and preparing the
skin for boat-covers, the husband said, " It just occurs
to me that Namak is wanting a sling." He then roused
him, saying, " Namak, thy enemies are making ready to
depart." He awoke and ran out, and stood staring at
the neighbours. On his way down to the beach, his
foster-father said to him, " Just cut out a line for thy
sling, wherever thou choosest." Keeping an eye upon
his neighbours, he took the knife from his father, lifted
up the seal by one of the forepaws with only one hand,
and turning it over without any difficulty, cut himself a
sling to his liking, all in one piece. On seeing this his
foster-father got quite frightened. Some time after this,
their neighbours were really going to depart. Namak
slept, and his father roused him with these words, " Na-
mak, this time thou mayst believe me ; thy enemies are
in the very act of departing : " but Namak did not
think fit to stir ; he had been cheated too often. The
father again cried to him, " Now they are taking their
tents away," — and as he himself could hear the clatter-
ing of the bars and poles, he rose and put on jacket and
boots, but without getting into the sleeves of his jacket,
and catching hold of his sling from under the ledge, he
hid it inside. Further down on the beach were some large
stone-heaps ; there he lay in ambush. Now that he had
determined to revenge himself, he no more concealed
his strength. While some were yet bringing down their
luggage, the first boat put out, rowing briskly, and when
right athwart of him, Namak put a big stone in his sling,
and threw it into the boat, where it made a large hole,
so that it instantly began to sink. " Alas ! alas ! " they
cried. The other boat hurried on to rescue them, but
underwent the same fate. The third one tried to save
^ Pfioca barbata, ^
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205
itself by turning in time, but at that instant he flung the
stone at it, hitting the prow and cleaving right through ;
and thus he destroyed three boats, crews and all, and
his mind now got rest One boat was saved from de-
struction, as it had gone out to sea at once, instead of
keeping along the shore. His enemies increased in
number after they had established themselves some-
where in the north ; and seeing that they had reason to
fear him, they trained themselves to be as vigorous as he.
Namak married, and though he had never had a kayak
himself, he taught his son to practise kayak-paddling.
He grew up and came to be an excellent kayaker, and
subsequently owned a boat as well as a tent. Now and
then reports reached them from their enemies that they
were numerous, and also strong. At last he persuaded
his son to go and look them up ; and in spring they '
went away northward in their boat, asking the people
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206 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
they met with, " Where are Namak's enemies ? " " Far-
ther north" was the constant answer. At last they
learned that their station was close at hand ; and from
that time they did not as usual land in the evening
to take rest, but rowed on incessantly. On their arrival
they asked the people who came down to the beach to
meet them, " Where are Namak's enemies } " To this,
howevei, they made no reply, but entered their houses,
and the travellers had to make their way on shore by
themselves ; neither were they afterwards invited to
visit them. However, they took up their winter-quarters
at that very place, and settled down for the time. In
the beginning of their stay, Namak advised his son to
watch them closely, but afterwards they got less suspi-
cious. That sjime winter, one morning, it blew a gale
from the south-west, and the kayakers remained at
home, and on that day it was announced, " They all want
to see Namak." He was ready in a moment ; the son
likewise went : and thus they were going to visit their
enemies for the first time. There was only set forth
meat for two. The son did not taste much of it, but the
father continued eating till the dish was nearly emptied.
The visitors did not speak ; but at length one of the
other party proposed different sports, saying, "Ye ought
to try strength at the pulling-thong first ; " and then he
took out the string fitted with walrus-teeth from beneath
the ledge, and threw it upon the skin which was spread
on the floor for the champions. But Namak said, " This
is but child's-play for people who really want to try a
match ; " and so saying, he took hold of and tore the
thong asunder with one hand, and then flung them
down on the floor. Another offered to try strength
with him, by hooking their arms together, and trying to
pull each other over. Namak did not hesitate, but at
once sat down on the skin. They now tried one after
another, but nobody was able to move his arm in the
least. Seeing that they were not able to match him,
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207
they all departed. The son went home, but Namak
never stirred, but stayed on. At last, however, he pre-
pared to put on his outer coat, and did it very slowly
and deliberately, always expecting an attack. They
were never invited afterwards. In spring they again
wanted to go to the south, and at parting he let his
house-fellows first go into the boat, while he kept back,
still expecting an attack from his enemies; but seeing
that they did not come, he finally left the place.
Note. — The native writer has added the following very characteristic '
remark : ** It is generally supposed that if his foster-father had not continu-
ally excited him, he would scarcely have grown to be so immensely strong.
People say that among our ancestors, before they became Christians, there
was no lack of strong men, because their bad consciences induced them to
cultivate their strength. Nowadays, since people have turned Christians,
and have no bad consciences, there are no strong men among them." \
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208 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
26.
THE LONELY BROTHERS.
[This tale is here somewhat abridged, and derived only from one manu-
script, in which the journey across the country is represented as having
been achieved from the west to the east coast of Greenland, an idea
which can <ntly have originaUd by transplanting the same story from
another Eskimo country, where such a journey might be more practi-
cable than across the frozen, impassable interior of Greenland.]
TWO brothers had taken up their abode at a fiord ;
there they lived alone, and having no female as-
sistance, they were obliged to cook and make their gar-
ments themselves. One day when they were out kay-
aking, they passed a little rocky point, and turning their
eyes landwards, they observed a woman standing on
the beach. The eldest brother now said he would go
and fetch her, and with this view he went ashore ; but
wht n he approached her she fled, at first slowly, till, when
he commenced to run, she hurried on so that he gave
her up and returned to his kayak. The younger brother
now ascended the beach, and as he approached she stood
quiet, making no resistance, but let him take her down.
They fastened the kayaks together with strings, and
when she was seated behind the men, she said to the
eldest brother, " I observed thy intention to be bad, so
I fled ; but thy brother there has a better disposition."
They now paddled homewards, all the time keeping a
sharp look-out upon her. But it happened that they left
off watching her for a moment ; and instantly they heard
a clattering noise, and there she was gone. They searched
all around, thinking she might have fallen into the water,
but there were no traces of her to be seen anywhere, and
after a while they gave her up, saying, " No matter, per-
haps she was not a real won: an" (/. c, she had fled from
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 209
mankind, and was a KivigtoK, endowed with supernatural
swiftness). They again untied their kayaks and made
for home ; but lo ! there she was, standing outside the
tent mending their boots. They ran up to her in case
she wanted to run away ; but she said to them, " Pray
let go your hold of me, I don't want to leave you." For
the first few days they were quite unwilling to leave her
alone, lest she should take flight in their absence. After-
wards they started, but did not leave her neighbour-
hood ; and they did not venture to go away from her
for any length of time, until she had said, " I like to
stop with you, and ye may go as far as ye like." As
they could now employ all their time in hunting, having
a woman at home to cook and sew for them, they got
more prosperous than before. She bore a male child in
due time ; but from that period her manners were al-
tered, and she grew restrained and silent. The eldest
brother proposed to the younger one that he should
question her as to the cause. At night when they lay
down to rest he did so, and she answered him, " It is
because of our baby boy ; I would like him so much to
go and see his mother's brothers. I cannot forget those
dear ones, and that is the reason why I have grown so
silent." The brothers agreed that they could not deny
her the pleasure of paying a visit to her parents, and said
that they would themselves accompany her. Delighted
at the prospect of going, she prepared for the journey,
and packed up a bundle of boots, as well as several new
pairs of soles and other necessaries ; and being ready for
their departure, they started to cross the country. The
wife with the child in the amowt (hood) constantly went
ahead of them, and the others could scarcely keep up
with her. For several days they wandered on in the
same manner, but at last the woman exclaimed, " If my
brothers be still alive, and are to be found in the old
place, we shall certainly come in sight of their sea to-
morrow ; I recognise all the mountain-hills of my old
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home." They still wandered on the whole of the next
day, and towards evening they sighted an open water.
At this they all began crying for joy, and were obligefd
to stop a little. The wife now said, " If we descend at
once we shall not find my brothers ; at this time of the
day they always used to be out kayaking. Let us there-
fore stay here till to-morrow, and be down with them
before they start" Accordingly they lay down to sleep
for the night, and in the morning they descended the
hillside together. A great many tents soon appeared
in the valley below, and pointing to one among them
remarkable for its greater size, she cried, " That is the
tent belonging to my relatives, but I would fain go down
by myself ; meanwhile you must keep behind," — and so
she went. The sun rose bright and warm, and a moment
after, an old woman came forth from a tent holding a
child by her one arm and in her other carrying a large
seal-skin for sole-leather, which she was going to stretch
on the ground to dry. All of a sudden the little one
turned round, exclaiming, " Why, is not that my aunt
coming there ? " " No, don't speak such foolish things.
Thou knowest very well thy aunt fled away never to re-
turn any more, because of these quarrels and fights for
her sake." At this rebuke the boy was silenced, but in
a little while again went on, " Indeed, indeed, it is my
aunt, and there she is coming!" The old woman, how-
ever, was still bending over the piece of skin, and busy
in fastening it down. She only rejoined, " What stupid
nonsense ! thy aunt has gone away from us for ever. I
only wish I could manage those pegs " (viz., for fastening
the skins) ; but as the boy would not give over chatter-
ing about his aunt she got into a passion with him, and
tore out the holes made in the skin for the pegs. Then
for the first time she looked up and cried out, " That is
she, sure enough. Why did not I believe the little one.?**
she continued, and went on caressing the boy. In the
meantime the brothers had also in some way or other
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been informed of what had happened, and each of them
cried out, " Qh, my dear sister ! ye have not cared so
much for her as I have; ye have not missed her so
much neither ; ye have not longed so much for her as I
have done." And each of them wanted to be the first
to greet her, and to take hold of her. They all ran to-
wards her, but out of reverence for the eldest they allowed
him to be the first to give her welcome. They now be-
gan questioning her about her fellow-travellers ; and she
told them that the men were waiting on the mountain-
side above, and they ran to bring them down, and the
entrance to the tent was soon t)locked up with inquisi-
tive neighbours, all eager to see the travellers who had
crossed the whole breadth of the country. The brothers
stayed at home all day, and for joy at the meeting could
do nought but sit down together and regard each other
lovingly. In the evening the eldest proposed that some
kind of amusements should be got up, and they agreed
to try strength with one another at " hook and crook ; "
upon which one of them drew forth a skin for the pur-
pose, saying, " When strangers meet, one always likes
to see which is the better man ; " and acting upon his
word, he at once undressed and seated himself on the
skin. Seeing that none of the visitors moved, one of his
own brothers sat down opposite to him, and they hooked
each other's arms, and the eldest of the two beat his
brother's back vigorously in order to encourage him to
pull hard. However, neither he nor any of all the bro-
thers were able to stretch out his arm ; but when they
had all done, he still retained his place sitting down on
the skin. The eldest of the visitors now whispered to
his brother, " I shall first take my chance, then thou
take thine ; " and he likewise undressed and sat down,
stretching out his right arm and hooking it inside his
adversary's. The visitor, perceiving his strength, thought,
" I will try. to conquer him before he is tired out, so that
it may not seem to be too easy a job for me ;" and he
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gathered all his strength, and 3lowly pulled on the arm
of his adversary till it touched his own breast, and the
other now tried to draw him back, but his features grew
quite convulsed, and the skin came off his arms in the
attempt. They changed places and tried the game over
with their left arms, but with the same result ; and at
last the host rose, with these words, " I now see that we
have acquired some very strong friends ; " and taking
his seat on the main ledge, as the principal person of
the house, he continued, saying, " We, too, have got a
man of great strength among us, and ye will scarcely
escape him ; I almost fiear you won't come off alive."
The next morning a call was heard outside the tent,
" The visitors are requested to come and fight 1 " At
this summons they quickly dressed and went outside.
There they saw a number of people ascending the
heights ; and following in their wake, they reached a
plain, where a still greater crowd formed a circle about
a fellow with a frame like a giant : and the elder bro-
ther whispered to the younger one, " It won't do for
thee to go first — thou dost look so very dejected ; I had
better go myself." So saying, he suddenly rushed at
the champion, and thus took the huge man by surprise.
This was at sunrise, and at sunset they were still fight-
ing ; and the visitor thought, " I must try to throw him
over before I get too tired." Taking hold of him, he
slowly lifted him off his feet, and held him swinging in
the air. He had noticed a pole stuck up among some
rocks. However, he did not choose to knock him down
against that, but hurled him right out among the spec-
tators, where he fell down, the blood gushing forth from
his mouth. A loud roar was now heard among the
people — some rejoiced, others wept ; and in descending
to the valley below, they all gathered around the eldest
visitor, merely to have the satisfaction of having touched
him, and some addressed him, saying, " Thou shalt have
my windlass in reward for that job." This, however.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 21 3
he did not understand at the time. The whole crowd
now vanished with one cry, "Ye shall be our masters
henceforth;" and for a while they remained at their
new station, kayaked, and were always together. When
the frost set in, and the sea began to be covered with
ice, the men chose a day for putting their hunting and
fishing implements to rights ; but the brothers did not
join their work, because their manner of hunting was
quite new to them. The next day they all started, and
towards evening the eldest of the men came dragging
along two large saddleback seals, others blueside ones/
while others had caught thong-seals. On the following
day the visitors accompanied them to see their ways of
hunting. They had left the shore far behind them before
they fell in with the frost-smoke and reached the first aper-
tures in the ice, at the edge of which walrus-teeth had been
stuck down. These were what they had been calling
their windlasses.^ The eldest of the men now said, " Do
not try to harpoon the big ones, but aim at the little
firth-seals, and leave the others to me." They both obeyed
his orders, and as soon as they had each harpooned a
small seal, they wound up their harpoon-strings round one
of the large walrus-teeth, and made it fast there. When
all the seals had been slaughtered they prepared to
return, letting the elder take the lead. But he had
not gone far when, turning round, he remarked, " Now
ye may go on just as ye like ;'' and so saying, he went
off as if carried by the wind. The others followed in
due order, but came home late. When they had all
entered, the eldest of the men took out the dish with the
boiled meat from beneath the ledge, and said, " I am
afraid it is not particularly good ; it will have lost its
flavour, having been ready this long time." They went
* The Phoca Greenlandica in a full-grown and in a half-grown state.
• This manner of catching seals, noticed by travellers among the nations
of Smith Sound, seems to have been known to the narrator of this story
only as a very remarkable tradition.
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out the same way next morning. That day the visitors
each caught a large seal, and the chief of the men said,
" They will not get home with these by to-morrow morn-
ing." But on their way home the elder brother said,
** This won't do ; we won't get any credit unless we try to
be the first," — and off they went, in order to forestall the
others, The master of the house came in later, and w^as
greatly astonished on seeing their outer clothes hanging
outside the hut, but supposed that some other visitors
might have arrived. On entering the house, however,
the brothers put the supper before him at once, saying,
" We fear the meat has got tough, and has lost its fla-
vour ; it is ever so long since we boiled it." At first he
remained silent, but soon became more talkative, and
said he was glad that he had got such able and clever
helpmates. When spring came on, the brothers began
to long for their own home, and they asked their former
companion whether she preferred to stay or go with
them. She answered, " I will rather return with you."
Her parents making no objections, they went away to-
gether, and wer* never more seen or heard of by any of
their kinsmen after the day of their departure.
27.
S I K U T L U K.
SIKUTLUK and his cousin were living together, and
loved each other dearly. At that settlement the
cousin was the only one who possessed a dog. One day
Sikutluk observed his cousin sitting before his tent
doing some work, the dog beside him. When he came
close up to him the cousin suddenly said, 'Vfray, shoot
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my dog." " No, I won't, because we are friends." But
the cousin still persuaded him, saying, " Pray do it,
nevertheless." He brought his bow accordingly ; but not
yet satisfied, he again inquired, " But wilt thou not really
get vexed when it is too late ? " " No, indeed, I shall
not ; " and the other killed the dog. The cousin, how-
ever, took offence for all that, and challenged his friend,
saying, " He had a mind to kill him at once." But
Sikutluk shot him right through the breast, and he fell
down dead. Immediately after this, Sikutluk went and
covered his cousin's boat and tent all over with heavy
stones, and left the place along with his wife ; but the
murder he had committed had made him thirst for blood,
and he went on intending to kill whatever he met with.
At first he was content with killing ptarmigan and rein-
deer. They both brought with them as many arrows as
they were able to carry. After a while they fell in with
an amarok} They first discovered the young ones,
but towards evening the mother arrived with a young
buck in her mouth. From their retreat they noticed
her dropping the burden on finding that her young
ones were killed ; and then sniffing the air, she fol-
lowed the scent of human beings, and with a fearful
howl came running on towards them at full speed. The
woman screamed, " I fear she will devour us ! " but he
made no other reply than, " Ah, my cousin, my beloved
cousin, I murdered thee ! " and he crept forth from his
ambush, aimed at the beast, and killed it on the spot.
They hid themselves again, and soon afterwards saw the
male return, also carrying a buck between his teeth.
After the same words, " Alas, my cousin, my beloved
cousin ! " he shot this one also. They still wandered
on and on, and killed everything living they met with
on their way. One day the woman caught sight of
a kilivfaky^ which stood scratching, the earth with its
^ Fabalous animal originating in traditions of the wolf,
s Another fabulous animal.
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2l6 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
feet. When the husband had also seen it, he first
went to look out for a hole in the earth close by, where
he ordered his wife to go and hide, and remain quiet
till he should let himself down to her. He now stole
down to encounter the animal. Whenever it turned to
look round he bent down to the ground ; but when it
stood scratching the earth, he crept on towards it. At
last he had got quite close, and ventured a shot at it,
and then hurried back and let himself fall down to his
wife. After him came the wild beast tumbling down
into the cave, where it entirely filled up the opening ;
but after much toil they got out again. They continued
roaming further away ; and in crossing the glaciers he
carried his wife across the crevasses. At length he again
reached the sea, and at the same time observed a kay-
aker close by. This man said he would take them to
his own place. if he would wait a little while he brought
a boat for them ; but the crew of the boat were all men.
They took up with these people ; but soon found out
that they had come among erkileks} One day Sikutluk
told his wife that he would return and look for some of
their kinsmen, and named a certain time by which they
expected to be back ; but in vain they waited for him.
When the appointed time had elapsed, they promised an
angakok a great reward if he could tell what had be-
fallen the traveller. After some meditation he replied,
" I observed he killed a pair of amaroks with their
brood." The wife acknowledged it. "And a female
kilivfak besides?" "Indeed he did so." "Then be
assured the male beast devoured him." But the wife
of Sikutluk lived on with the foreigners until the time
of her death.
^ Fabulous inlanders.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 217
28.
THE GIRL WHO FLED TO THE
INLANDERS.
[The details of this legend are somewhat defective, owing to the imper-
fect state of the manuscripts from which it was compiled. The tra-
dition itself is widely spread over Greenland, but does not appear to
be known any more perfectly by the relators themselves, and is per-
haps gradually passing into oblivion. It is probably one of the oldest,
and certainly one of the most remarkable, as pointing out the rela-
tions between the Eskimo and the Indians, and gives us several hints
with regard to the customs of the latter, such as their dancing and
their modes of disguising themselves. ]
THERE was once a young maiden who happened
to break her elder sister's needle, which was.
made of reindeer -horn and was very precious. The
sister got dreadfully angry with her, although she lived
in great prosperity, being well married. So angry was
she, that she told her sister she might as'well take herself
off, and henceforth keep away from the coast-people.
The girl at once obeyed, and wandered about the coun-
try for many a day. One night when she was sitting
down on a stone crying, she heard a voice beside her
saying, " Why dost thou cry thus ? " and turning round,
she saw a very tall man, whom she recognised to be an
inlander (viz., fabulous people), standing beside her.
Again he repeated, " For what art thou crying ? " " Be-
cause I broke my sister's needle, and she sent me away." '
* And I was sent away in the same manner because I
spoiled my brother's precious snare." Then he asked
her to follow him, and they went away together to his
house, where he made her a present of deer-skins, some
for outer garments and some for inner clothes, and he
took her for his wife. This inlander used to go and
catch eider-ducks in a certain lake, by wading out in
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the water and taking the birds by stealth. One day he
proposed that she should accompany him on a visit to
his relatives, and told her that when they came in sight
of the house he would call out, *' Kung, kung-kuyo I and
they will know me at once," he said. They went ; and
as soon as from one of the hill-tops they could make
out the house of his relatives in the valley, he made the
sign, and they heard the children of the place calling
out, •" Somebody is saying, * Kung, kung ; ' " and they
saw his mother appearing in the doorway repeating the
same words. They now descended, and entered the
house. He had a sister who was an idiot (considered as
a clairvoyant), and very talkative. He told her not to
mention that a coast-woman had come among them,
and he went to hide his wife in some remote corner of
the broad ledge ; but when his brothers came in they at
.once remarked, " There is a smell of coast-people about
the place ! " and when the fool went outside, she could
not forbear saying to his neighbours, " Ye haven't got a
sister-in-law like mine, with beads and necklace — a real
nice one — one of the coast-women!" After this the
inquisitive people thronged about the window to get a
peep at the stranger. Some crept up on the roof and
made themselves a peep-hole there, and in no time the
house was quite full. Subsequently there was some talk
of a boat that was shortly expected, and one morning it
was announced to be coming. She knew them to be inua-
rutligaks.^ On coming up from the beach, they stopped
outside the house and commenced singing to one another,
and then brought forth gifts of skins, and stayed with
them a whole month, enjoying each other's company
very much, feasting a great deal, and singing songs con-
tinually. At one of their banquets an inlander stood
forth, and, by way of entertaining the assembly, he sang
and danced. During the dance he transformed himself
into a reindeer ; but at this trick the children of the inu-
^ Fabulous dwarf inlanders or mountain-elves.
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arutiigaks got dreadfully frightened, so that he again
quickly changed himself into a man. Another, in his
turn to divert the company, took upon himself the shape
of a hare; but the inlanders* children cried out aloud,
and he hastened to re-change himself as fast as possible.
One inlander, when he danced, pulled the skin from off
his whole body till it only adhered to a small portion
between his eyes ; but when the urchins cried, he soon
put it all right again. At last one of the inuarutligaks
came forth to dance, and he danced in such a way that
the whole house soon leaned over, and all the inmates
rolled down to one side with such force that one woman
and a child were crushed to death. The entertainment
now ended, and the next day the inuarutligaks departed,
after having first invited their late hosts to visit them.
In a month's time they made preparations to start, and
they had a boat made of stone for the purpose. They
agreed that the coast-woman might as well be of the
party, but told her not to open her eyes during the
voyage, saying that the boat would not move on if she
did so. She complied ; but as soon as the crew could
make out the sound of children's voices, they permitted
her to open them again, and she perceived a very little
house, and wondered how they should all get room in it.
While, however, she was looking at it, it seemed to grow
bigger — the inuarutligaks knew how to enlarge their
houses by means of rubbing them. They now went
inside, bringing their bundles of skin, one for each per-
son, with them, and then commenced their feasting
and merry-making. One of the inuarutligaks stepped
forward, and after having performed a dance, flung
himself down on the ground transformed into an orsu-
ghiak'Stone (viz., a sort of white, glistering felspar). The
inlanders tried to lift it, but being quite unable, he soon
rose up in his proper shape. One of the inlanders now
advanced, fell to the ground, and was transformed into
a common stone ; but the inuarutligaks managed to lift
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220 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
it, and flung it against the door, where it flew to pieces.
In this manner th^ inlanders lost one of their people,,
and they left on the following day. In the' summer-
time preparations were made for reindeer-hunting, and
the coast-woman was to accompany them. She had
two girls for her enemies because she married so early,
and they were always molesting her, and trying to
make her ridiculous. They said that she was not so
smart and lightfooted on the march as the inlanders ;
and one of them added, " To-day I even pursued and
overtook a young deer ! " On hearing this, the old wo-
man of the house produced a pair of boots, which she
filled with all kinds of vermin, and ordering her to put
them on; she tightened them round her legs, the husband
encouraging her, saying, "She must needs bear it in order
to get agile and smart." But presently she fell into a
swoon, and the skin dropped off her feet and legs. When
she was restored to her senses, she perceived new flesh
and new skin to be growing on them, and she had now
become swift and nimble as the inlanders themselves.
On their return from the reindeer-hunt she said she
longed for her relatives, and was desirous to go and see
them ; and the next summer her husband accompanied
her thither. Approaching the coast-side, they saw a
kayaker, whom they hailed, and asked to bring a boat
to take them the remainder of the way. On getting into
it the inlander was dreadfully afraid, and fell down flat
on his face at the bottom of the boat, where he remained
till he landed close to their home. They stayed that
winter at her parents, and once her father said, "I wish
I could have got another son-in-law instead of this one
—one who knew how to trap eider-ducks." The in-
lander had a habit of stopping in the house all day, but
at these words he only asked a trap of him ; and one
day he returned all covered with ducks. The other men
of the place in the winter-time often used to ridicule
him, and always wanted to persuade him ^to accompany
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them out on the ice for the mozupok-hunt (cor. sp. mau-
poK, seal-hunt, by watching the breathing-holes). In
the summer he resolved to visit his countrymen, and
on parting said to his wife, " If I find our son in health,
I will return with more companions." He now set off,
and did not return till next spring, and then reported
that their son had died. He told his wife that it was
now his intention to return to his own people ; and when
he left they never saw any more of him.
29.
THE ORPHANS.
AT a well-peopled settlement there lived an old
couple, with an only son and a younger daugh- .
ter ; but the parents died before they were grown up.
They, however, soon got foster-parents, but these did
not love them — they were always scolded, and left to
seek their food on the beach at low- water. One spring, ,
when the people were going to start on their summer
travels, they put the children into an empty house, with
a small portion of food, closed the entrance with large
stones, and then left them. When the poor orphans
were wellnigh starving, they rummaged about the empty
room to find something to allay their hunger, and fell to
eating all the old leavings they could get hold of. When
these were finished, the sister found an instrument for
boring. As they could not reach the ceiling, they heaped
up stones to stand upon, and in this way managed to
make a hole in the roof to creep through. The brother
first helped his sister to escape, and then got out him-
self. Outside they could see tents standing in rows on
the islets, they being themselves on the mainland ; by
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the smoke they observed, they knew them to be cooking
all the day, and they could see the kayakers pursuing
the seals. Being hungry, they went to the place where
the seals used to be stripped and cut up in the winter,
hoping to find some old bits to eat, and they were for-
tunate enough to find the head of a small thong-seal.
When they had eaten a part of it, the sister stripped off
the skin, prepared it, and said to the brother, " I am
going to make a disguise for thee ; dost not thou re-
member the magic song our mother taught us ? " " In-
deed I do ; and I even remember one for raising a storm.
Make haste and get ready the skin." She rubbed it
hard, at the same time singing over it, and all the while
it grew larger and larger. He tried it on, but found that
it only touched his knees. She rubbed still more, and
at last he could wrap himself quite up in it. The sister
fastened it on him, saying, ** There, thou lookest just like
a young thong-seal ; now try the water," — and he went
to the beach. He leapt down, while she remained sing-
ing the magic lay, and saying, " Now dive down ! "
When he reappeared on the surface she said, "Thou
art looking like a little dovekie (see p. 201) ; I will
sing again : " and when he again appeared, she said,
"Well, now, thou art quite like a thong-seal; come!"
When he rose the next morning and came outside, it was
fine weather and quite calm ; and seeing that no kayaker
from the islets had left land, he took a fancy to play the
seal. He put on his disguise and leapt into the sea.
No sooner was he observed from the tents than they
called out, ** There is a young seal ; let us be off and
chase it ! " There was plenty of joking, and a great
bustle, and the men got their kayaks down into the sea
in a great hurry. In the meantime he dived, but as he
could not keep his breath all the time, he rose to the
surface behind one of the kayakers, and took breath
without being observed. In the hurry of the moment,
some of the men had forgotten to put on their kayak-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 223
jackets, though they were rather far out at sea. These
the disguised boy had picked out to wreak his vengeance
on. He sang the lay for raising the wind, and all of a
sudden a gale began to blow. The hunters hastened
to put back and reach home ; but those who were not
in proper trim had their kayaks filled with water, and
perished. When the brother came on shore, he said to
his sister, " I believe we may safely venture to let them
see we are still alive. Now they have lost some of their
people, we may probably be of some use to them, and
may be they will fetch us off;" and they proceeded to
make signs to attract attention. As soon as they were
observed by the people on the opposite islands, these
said to one another, " Let us get them over ; we are in
w^ant of people." A boat was soon despatched ; and after
a while the orphans recovered. Later on in the summer
they were taken into a boat's crew as rowers, and went
up a firth for a deer-hunting station ; but their master
was not kind to them, and when he had got his first
buck, he gave the boy the knee-pan, and said, " Until
thou hast swallowed that, thou shalt have nothing else
to eat." He was almost choked with it, but at last
managed to make it go down, and then had his meal ;
but he never forgot the knee-pan. When the deer-
hunting was at an end in the autumn, some people were
leaving for the north, and the orphans were among their
party, and thus left their former masters. They were
not yet quite grown up ; but they went on practising
all manner of hard exercise, in order to increase their
strength. In this they both succeeded ; and the brother
turned out to be an excellent seal-hunter besides. Some
years afterwards, they travelled back to the south, and
again came across the man who had made him swallow
the knee-pan, but he had now grown quite old. Game
was scarce in the middle of winter, but the young
man still went out and tried his luck. One day he
brought home a large thong-seal, and ordered the sister
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224 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to boil down the blubber into train-oil. This done, he
invited all their neighbours ; and when the meal was
served up, he addressed the old man, saying, " I would
like to know whether it be easier to swallow a knee-pan
or to drink boiling-hot oil ? Just thou try, or otherwise
thou wilt have no supper." The old man hesitated, but
drank it off at last ; but his throat got scalded, and he
died in the act of drinking. The young man was thus
appeased, and left the place on the first thaw.
Note. — There is a story of some other orphans, that they were left help-
less and destitute at the winter-quarters when all the rest of the people
went deer-hunting ; but when they were at the point of starving, they heard
a noise on the roof of the doorway, and on looking out to see what it was,
they found a ptarmigan. The next day came a small seal, and when that
was finished, a large saddleback seal. Of other orphans it is told that
the eldest, a boy, died of starvatiom ; but that the girl, left alone, one day
happened to see some kayakers hallo-hunting (viz., by driving the seals).
When they had finished, one of them brought her a little seal ; and when
they again put out to sea, she observed them all turning into gulls and fly-
ing away. When she had returned, and lay all alone in the house, a queer
little woman brought her a fire that could never be extinguisl^ed. Of an-
other orphan the legend is, that he taught himself to walk on the surface
of the ocean.
30.
THE GIRL WHO WENT AWAY IN SEARCH
OF HER BROTHER.
[From two rather defective copies.]
ALEKATOKAK went away with her brother Asu-
vina, to set up fox-traps. Having arrived at the
place they had fixed upon, she told her brother that she
wanted a flat stone to make a door for the trap, and
asked him to bring her one. He went to get it ; but as
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he was rather long in returning, she went off to seek
him : but in vain ; he had completely disappeared ; and
she was obliged to return by herself. On her coming
home, her father said, " I suppose thou hast hurt him —
perhaps even killed him : I shall be sure to punish thee."
He had often threatened to make away with her, having
never liked her, but put her down as an idle wench,
unable to make herself useful in any way. Her mother
pitied her, and advised her to flee the society of men ;
and accordingly she made up a little bag with some
clothes, and went far into the country. She kept
wandering about, and could even overtake the rein-
deer. Having once passed a cleft in the mountains,
she saw a little house down in a valley, with an opening
in the centre of the roof. She approached the house,
and peeping down observed a giant-like fellow, who
returned the look, and addressed her, saying, " What
dost thou want here, thou miserable daughter of the
coast - people i Dost thou think that I will let thee
off like that?" He then rushed out to seize her; but
meanwhile she had found a hiding-place ; and when he
had returned to his house, she again hastened on her
way farther into the country ; and at last she came to
another house, which had three windows. She noticed
that cooking was going on inside, as well as other
business, without any people being visible. Though
not aware of it, she had been coming all the way to the
place of sJiadows. A voice was heard saying, " Thou
little one from the coast-side, come in, come in ! " and
when she had entered, a dish with boiled meat was set
before her; and her hunger being stilled, the invisible
shadows among whom she npw found herself invited
her to stay and sleep there. After farther wanderings,
she at length reached the sea ; and around a little creek
she observed a great many tents pitched up near the
strand. She waited till evening before venturing to go
down ; and sitting on a slope, she heard the children of
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226 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the place call out, " A kayaker is coming ! he is towing
a seal ! " Presently a kayaker appeared from behind a
point. She heard them repeat, "Asuvina has got a
seal ! " and she felt sure that she had found her lost
brother. The people of the* place had a chief, whose
tent was larger than all the rest ; and beyond this was
a plain, where they used to practise ball-playing. She
recognised her brother accompanying the men thither,
and saw that he was ordered to lift up a large round
stone ; but not being able to do so, the others threw him
down. In the evening she descended the hill, and
went straight on to his house. He wondered very much
at her coming, and told her that he had lost his way in
seeking the slab for her fox-trap, but that he was now
married, and that his wife had a sister. He went on to
tell her that they had an idiot at the place, who — viz.,
by clairvoyance — would probably soon be aware of her
arrival ; and that she had better hide herself a while
behind the skin-hangings of the wall. Next morning
the fool entered, saying, " In the night I dreamt that a
woman from the coast-side, and sister to Asuvina, came
among us ; " but Asuvina answered, " I have got no
sister," upon which the other went away ; but Asuvina
stayed at home the whole day long, enjoying his sister's
company. In the evening she went with them to the
ball-play on the plain, disguised in the clothes of her
sister-in-law. When the chief had lifted the round
stone, he made a false hit, and let it fall down upon
his own feet, and fairly crushed them. Alekatokak now
told them quickly to fetch a little dog ; but on hearing
that they had not got one in the whole place, she hurried
away and soon overtook and brought back a young deer.
She cut an opening into it, and let the chief put the sore
feet down among the entrails, and in this way cured
him. She got married there, and had a son. At his
birth they brought her an oblong dish with certain
entrails of a fox, and ordered her to swallow them.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 22/
shutting her eyes the while. This was the custom with
them, when they desired the new-born child to be clever
and dexterous. After this remedy she was at once
restored to her usual health, and her boy grew to be a
very swift runner ; and they remained in the place and
had numerous descendants.
31.
THE DOG.
[This tale is taken from a single manuscript]
AN old married couple had two sons and a little
daughter. The sons were renowned for strength,
and for being able hunters. They used to return with
their seals towing in a long line behind them. But one
day they did not return. While the parents were still
expecting them, a man brought the sad news that he
had seen them both hanging on an inaccessible rock.
They were hung up by the feet, head downwards, and
nobody could get at them to save them. This deed had
been done by the inlanders. While the old parents
w^ere in Seep affliction for their loss, they heard that
some of their neighbours had a dog with a great many
ivhelps. The mother sent the daughter away to fetch
one, which she adopted, and had it always on the ledge
beside her, nursing it with her own milk. In the winter,
she noticed thjit the dog (being endowed with magic
power) sometimes went on scratching his face, and at the
same time always commencing to speak, and asking,
** What do I look like now ? " Towards the end of the
-winter they were in great want, having lost their pro-
tectors. The dog then said he was going for a walk
into the country. One night he roused his foster-
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228 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
mother, and having given himself a scratching, inquired,
" Am I still good-looking ? I shall be off to-morrow."
The reason for thus scratching itself was to frighten
people to death (viz., by charm). He came upon the
inlanders while they were busy conjuring spirits. The
angakok soon foretold his coming, and cried, " Fire !
fire !" but, the dog scratched his face, and rushed into
the passage, hiding itself there. When the people came
out, bringing lights with them, the dog frightened them
to death on the spot. Next he set off in search of their
storehouse, and carried some victuals back to his foster-
parents, and showed them the place where they could
find the rest. But from that time upwards the woman
began to fear him ; and in the spring, when the boat
was loaded and ready for starting, she asked the dog to
go back to the house and bring her something she had
forgotten. As soon as it had disappeared to obey her
orders, they pushed off from land, and set out on their
journey. But the dog went on following along the shore
until they gained the last point, from which it could
follow them no longer. There it remained whining and
howling. It is supposed that this is the origin of the
present custom with the dogs to follow the departing
Doat along the coast, and go on howling at them from
the last point of land.
32.
THE WIDOW'S VENGEANCE.
[From one of the older manuscripts.]
THERE was a widow with a son named Kujangfuak ;
beyond her house was another one, inhabited by
a number of brothers, all clever at their profession, and
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 229
well off. Whenever they had brought home any seals,
the widow, according to the custom, would send her son
to get a tamorasak (viz., little bit of blubber) ; but the
men generally replied, " Thou lazy beggar, thou never
assisted us in providing anything ; so thou wilt not get
anything neither." On his returning with this answer,
his mother only said, *' Never mind — ^just let them talk."
One day they caught a mamartok (viz., a delicious kind
of seal — one that has shed hair). The mother now took
a stronger fancy than ever for a little morsel, and sent
her son for it ; but he was treated as usual : the men
took a bit of whatever they could lay hand on, and flung
it at him. When he came back and gave their message
to his mother, she was in a great rage ; and taking one
of her boots, seated herself in a corner of the ledge to
practise some charm. On the following morning, when
her son looked into the pot, there was an eider-duck in
it The mother merely remarked, " Just take it.'* Part
of it she boiled, and the rest was put by for future use.
In the evening she repeated her charms and spells, and
a small seal was found in the water-tub. The third day,
the son, to his great surprise, saw standing on the floor
a completely furnished kayak ; the mother took him
down to the beach, and made him practise paddling, as
well as upsetting and again righting, till he had got
quite expert at these things. The following day she
let him go out again, and pointing to an iceberg, told
him to round it in his kayak. He pushed off at her
bidding, and when he was out of sight, she returned to
the house. The neighbours likewise set off, and saw
Kujanguak attacking a bear, which at last took refuge
on an iceberg. The eldest of the brothers tried to climb
it, but was not able. After him Kujanguak made the
attempt ; and having first asked the other to take care
of his kayak, he clutched hold of the ice, and scrambled
up. At the very top he encountered the bear, and im-
mediately fell upon it; and taking hold of it by the nepjc,
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230 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
flung it down into the sea, stone-dead. The youngest of
the brothers, Sanak, cried out, " I have got a bear ! " but
Kujanguak quietly descended, got into his kayak, fast-
ened his towing-line to the bear, and paddled home,
followed by the other kayakers, who had given him their
assistance. The mother now went down to the beach,
accompanied by the sister of the brothers. While they
were busy dragging the bear up to the house, the mother
mockingly observed, turning to her, " Who knows how
nourishing that flesh may be ! " adding, " Now haul it
up the rest of the way thyself; I am going to fetch
water." Having finished this task, however, she re-
turned to the bear, and now divided it into two equal
parts, of which she gave her companion one, saying,
"The skin thou mayst keep for a ledge-cover." She
then boiled the flesh, and invited the whole party to
partake of it The other woman she asked to sit down
on the main ledge ; and when she had served the meal
up she remarked, " It is a pity one cannot make sure
whether there is any nourishment about this game of
Kujanguak's." The woman visitor said, " I have been
longing ever so much for bear's meat lately." They all
ate well ; and on taking leave the female visitor thanked
her saying, that she had altogether found it a delicious
and hearty feed. The following day Kujanguak again
set off" to the iceberg, and got a large seal. When he
was returning towing it homewards, he chanced to en-
counter the brothers. Happily his mother had advised
him beforehand, " If ever they venture to persecute thee,
take some water out of the sea with thy left hand, and
moisten thy lips with it" Kujanguak tried this as soon
as they all came rushing in upon him. The eldest bro-
ther began the attack by catching hold of the kayak
point, doing his utmost to upset it ; but no sooner had
Kujanguak tasted the w^ater with his lips than the other
let it go. Sanak now said, " Look at the foaming breakers
there I let us try which of us can first get beyond them ;"
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 23 1
and all of them pushed on as fast as possible. Kujan-
guak, who had a seal on his line, was first obliged to
tighten it ; but this done, he pushed on like a shot, and
soon came up with the eldest brother, ahead of the
others ; and while they rowed outside of the breakers,
Kujanguak went right across them, carried along by the
surf. When the waves retreated, he jumped out upon
the rocks ; and when the breakers came rolling on again,
he hastened back into the kayak. On the way home the
brothers secretly consulted to surround him ; however,
he made his escape from them. Meanwhile his mother
suddenly missed a certain lock of hair, and knowing this
to be a bad omen for her son, was very anxious about him,
until it shortly afterwards proved to be in its proper
place on her forehead. Reassured with regard to her
son, she now mounted the hills to look out for his return.
On landing he was received on the beach by her along
with the other woman, who asked him how her brothers
had fared. He answered her, " I wonder thou carest to
bother thyself about those stupid fellows ! " When the
flesh of the seal had been prepared, and the men were
supping upon the briskets, the mother of the many sons
grew envious and resentful because she was not invited
to share the good fare. On hearing this the widow cut
a piece of the loin, and having pronounced a spell upon
it, carried it to her by way of a present. When they
sat down to eat it, Sanak was almost suffocated, and
presently his old mother likewise cried for water. Hav-
ing got a drink, she recovered ; Sanak, however, ex-
pired. When the widow re-entered the room, the eldest
brother accused her of the deed, saying, " You only fed
them to work their destruction — it is none but thou who
hast killed them ! " and, at the same time, he rose and
rushed against the house-pillars, in order to shake it
down and make it fall over her : but the widow replaced
them quickly. Again he rose from his seat, and turn-
ing towards the widow herself, he quickly snatched off
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232 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the two points of her jacket — the one in front as well as
the one behind* Little heeding this affront, she now
ran out, and told her son that two of their adversaries
had now been despatched. In the enjoyment of the
happy event, they both bolted across the boat in great
glee ; however, the mother happened to break her back.
When Kujanguak had got her indoors, she took some
filth from beneath the place where her dead mother
used to put all kinds of dirty refuse, and threw it out
at the house of their enemies. This brought sickness
upon them, from which all of them died excepting the
sister, who turned kivigtok (t>., one who has fled from
mankind).
33.
A LAMENTABLE STORY.
[From one of the older manuscripts.]
AN old man had taken up his position on the ice
watching the breathing-holes of the seals, in order
to spear them as they appeared. Meanwhile some little
girls were playing on shore in a cleft between some rocks,
as usual, carrying their little baby sisters and brothers in
the amowts (hoods) at their backs. Just as the old man
was in the act of spearing a seal, the children happened
to give a shout, and the terrified seal at once dived to
the bottom. On this the old man got into a great pas-
sion, and cried out aloud, " Shut up, mountain-cleft ! "
and accordingly it closed upon all the playing children,
who were not able to escape, but were now buried in a
cavern, wide at the bottom, and narrow towards the top.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 233
The babies soon began to cry for thirst, and the girls
put their fingers into their mouths to suck at, trying to
hush them by telling them, "When mother has finished
soling the boots, she will come and suckle thee." At
length the mothers came to the spot, and poured water
down in the cleft. The water trickled along the walls,
and they licked it up, and the mothers could very well
see the children, but as it was impossible to get at them,
all of them were starved.
34.
U V I K I A K.
[From one of the oldest manuscripts. ]
UVIKIAK was travelling to the north, accompanied
by one son and two daughters. Whenever he
came to a favourable shore, the son kayaked ahead
of them, and when the others came up to the spot they
had fixed to land upon, he was already standing in wait-
ing. They generally remained on land for the night,
and travelled further the next day ; in the evening the
son roamed aheati^ as usual, to await them ashore, but
when they landed and looked for him he was not to be
seen. They pushed off again, and having doubled a
point of land and got into a bay, they saw his lifeless
body, standing erect, pierced with sharp weapons be-
neath his arms, and his eyes covered with some of his
entrails. At this sight his father groaned with despair,
and left the place to get hold of the murderers. Some
way off he observed some tents, and he went and asked,
** Have ye seen no travellers pass by this way i " " To
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234
TALES AND TRADITIONS.
be sure we have : yesterday a boat passed by ; they
were singing some kind of mock song about a young
lad whose eyes had been covered with his entrails, and
at which they laughed and scorned him." At this re-
port the father was stfU more provoked ; and always
lamenting the lost one, they continued their journey of
discovery, making inquiries at several other places, where
they always got the same information, that a boat had '
newly passed by. Uvikiak still travelled on, with his
wife and his two daughters, never now coming on shore
in the night. At last they again reached some tents,
and on making the usual inquiries, got the answer that
a boat had lately passed by, the crew of which were sing-
ing very sadly about a young man they had killed ; and
the wrath of the old Uvikiak somewhat subsided at their
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 23 S
mild words. They continued their journey for several
days without being able to sleep in the night for excite-
ment ; but at length they set foot on the spot where lived
the murderers. They put in and landed somewhat at
the back of their dwelling-place ; and having got the boat
on shore, placed it keel upwards, and gathered crow-
berry plants and grass to cover it up with. Uvikiak's
wife betook herself under the boat, while he himself went
away with his daughters across the isthmus. They
soon heard a noise, and listening on one of the nearest
hills, just above the spot where they used to have danc-
ing and other games, — they heard distinctly that one of
them was singing about Uvikiak's son. The song being
finished, two young men came walking up-hill, flushed
with heat and quite undressed. The new-comers at once
inquired som«thing about the singers. " It is our mas-
ter," they answered ; "he was just singing about a young
man whom we happened to meet with down in the south,
and killed — it was mighty amusing!" In a great rage,
Uvikiak instantly seized the one of them, and the daugh-
ters the other. They soon got the better of both ; and
having killed them, put them in exactly the same posi-
tion as that in which they had seen Uvikiak's son; after
which they hid themselves at a little distance. They
had not to wait long before they heard a cry of vengeance;
but their hiding-place was not discovered ; and they
escaped without any harm, and then returned to their
home in the south. ♦
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236 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
35.
THE SUN AND THE MOON.
[This tale, one of the few already mentioned by other authors on Green-
land, has been translated from one of the oldest manuscripts.]
AN old married couple remained at home while their
children travelled about all the summer. One
day the wife was left alone as usual while the husband
was out kayaking. On hearing something moving about
close by, she hastened to hide beneath her coverlet,
and after a little while, when she ventured to peep
above it, she saw a little snow-bunting {Plectrophanes
nivalis) hopping about on the floor and chirping,
" Another one will soon enter, who is going to tell
thee something." In a little while she was alarmed by
a still greater noise ; and looking up again, she beheld
a kusagtak (another little bird — the wheat-ear — Saxicola
cenanthe), likewise hopping on the floor and singing,
" Somebody shall soon enter and tell thee something."
It left the room, and was soon followed by a raven ; but
soon after it had gone she heard a sound like the steps
of people, and this time she saw a very beautiful woman,
who entered. On asking whence she came, the stranger
told, " In bygone days we often used to assemble in my
home to divert ourselves at different plays and games,
and in the evening, when it was all ended, the young
girls generally remained out, and the young men used
to pursue and court us ; but we could never manage to
recognise them in the dark. One night I was curious to
know the one who had chosen me, and so I went and
daubed my hands with, soot before I joined the others.
When our play had come to an end, I drew my hands
along his back, and left him, and was the first who en-
tered the house. The young people came in, one after
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 237
another undressed, but for some time I observed no
marks. Last of all my brother entered, and I saw at
once that the back of his white jacket was all besmeared
with soot. I took a knife, and sharpened it, and pro-
ceeded to cut off my two breasts, and gave him them,
saying, * Since my body seems to please thee, pray take
these and eat them.* He now began to speak indecently
to me, and courted me more than ever, and while we
raced about the room he caught hold of some bad moss
and lit it, but I took some that was good, and also lit
mine. He ran out, and I ran after him ; but suddenly
I felt that we were lifted up, and soared high up in the
air. When we got more aloft my brother's light was
extinguished, but mine remained burning, and I had
become a sun. Now I am on my way higher up the
skies, that I may give warmth to the orphans (viz., going
to make summer)." Finally she said, ** Now close thy
eyes.^' The woman turned her eyes downwards; but
perceiving that she was about to leave the house, she
gave her one look, and observed that at her back she
was a mere skeleton. Soon after she had left the house
the old husband returned.
Note. — Among the rare cases which we have of any Eskimo tradition
from the west about Behring Straits, the above legend is reported as
known at Point Barrow, and was communicated to John Simpson, surgeon
on board the Plover. In this the sister says to the brother, ** Ta-man^g-
ma mam'mang-mang'atC g-nia nigK-e-ro^^ which corresponds to the Green-
landish tamarma mamarmat ftma neriuk, *^ My whole person being
delicious^ eat this also *' — ^almost the same words as in one of the copies from
Greenland.
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238 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
36.
N I V N I T A K.
[The high esteem in which personal dexterity and strength, combined with
courage and hardihood, have been held by the natives, is pointed
out to us in this curious story, which especially aims at bringing these
qualities to bear against the influence of old age.]
NIVNITAK went away and settled far off to the
north, at a certain place favourably situated for
all kinds of hunting. He had many grandchildren, who
all grew up to be skilled hunters while he was still in
the prime of life ; but none of them ever came to be a
match for him. At last they also married in their turn
and begat children before Nivnitak had got one grey hair.
It once happened that the winter set in very severely, with
hard weather every day. When the sea was getting all
covered with ice, the young people gradually left off
hunting. Nivnitak, however, was constantly on the
move hunting, alternately on land and on the frozen
sea. Later on the young men did not even rise from
their couches, but remained at rest on the ledge. One
evening Nivnitak said, "To-morrow I won't go out
hunting, but I intend to climb the highest mountains to
have a survey of the sea ; " and he departed early on the
following day, and returned late in the evening, saying,
" I climbed the highest, and saw the frost-smoke at dif-
ferent places far out at sea. No doubt there will be ani-
mals to be got there ; to-morrow I shall try." When
the midnight stars shone brightest he left the house.
He gained the outermost islets at dawn of day, and
when he had quite lost sight of them on his seaward way
the sun rose above the horizon, and then for the first
time he observed the haze hanging above the open
water, which he had plainly seen from the hills the day
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 239
before. Meanwhile his house-fellows were anxiously
expecting him ; when all of a sudden a noise was heard,
and soon after he entered the house, pushing a seal on
before him, and saying, " If we are in want of game, I have
found a hole where plenty of seals, large as well as small,
are to be had." But at this speech his children and grand-
children only murmured and sulked a little, and then
asked for a morsel of blubber. The next morning he was
again off at an early hour, and did not return till late
at night, when the same noise was heard ; and, covered
with sweat, he again entered the room with a very large
seal. This day the young men had risen, and were sit-
ting on the ledge with their boots on. The following
night, when he again brought in a large seal, he found
them mending their hunting tools ; and on the ensuing
morning some of the ablest among them at length ac-
companied him ; but because of their slowness he ordered
them not to attack the larger seals. When they had got
at the aperture, Nivnitak roamed about by himself a
little, and detected the marks of a sledge leading right
out to sea. Having examined them closely, he returned
to his younger companions, and soon lanced a couple of
seals. Dragging them along by the tug-line, he now
made for home ; but on the way he fancied that his
grandchildren, each of them having but one seal, were
too slow for him, and prepared to leave them, saying,
" Ye know your way, of course, and can go on by your-
selves." Upon which he proceeded on alone, and reached
home much earlier than they. When they were all sit-
ting together in the evening, he observed, " If the wea-
ther stands, it is quite a treat to go out hunting ; now ye
may stop at home if ye like : I will take care that we do
not suffer from want of food." On the morrow he left as
usual, but in the evening they expected him back in
vain. Nivnitak remembered the track of the sledge he
had discovered the preceding day ; and having found it,
he followed Jt across the sea. The mountains of his
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240 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
own country were lost to his sight, but others appeared
ahead of him, and he landed on a foreign coast at the
opposite side of the ocean. Here he passed through a
valley, and again beheld a sheet of frozen water ; and
close by he observed a little house, with some poles
stuck in the ground beside it. A woman emerged from it,
and perceiving a stranger approaching the house by such
an unwonted road, she stood hesitating an instant, but
then asked him to come inside. On entering the house
he saw two young girls sitting close to the wall, and he
secretly determined that they should be his future wives.
He felt very hungry, and hoped that he should be
offered something to eat, but in this he was disappointed.
After a while one of the women left the room, but pre-
sently returned, saying, "Yonder he is coming!" on
which Nivnitak looked out at the window, and saw a
man running along the ice at a great rate, tugging two
seals after him. Near the beach he disappeared among
the loose blocks of ice scattered about there ; however,
he soon reappeared, bounding along towards the house ;
but seeing the outer garments of a stranger hung up on
the poles he stopped. Nivnitak seated himself, and
shortly afterwards the other man entered, seemingly
pleased, and smiling at the visitor. Having relieved
himself of his clothes, he took a bear-skin from beneath
the ledge, and spreading it mid-way on the floor, ex-
claimed, " When two men meet for the first time they
always try to outdo each other; let us have a try.''
Nivnitak did not hesitate a moment, but having un-
dressed himself sat down on the skin opposite to him,
hooked his hand into his adversary's arms, and pulled
away with all might, and almost succeeded in master-
ing him. They then stopped, and the host seated him-
self on the main bench [ledge] and inquired if the visitor
had got anything to eat. He answered *' No." " Why,
then, make haste and treat him to your best ; " on which
the women set forth several dishes. Nivnitak now fell
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 24 1
eagerly to, and when the host was going to begin the
dish was already empty. He now looked at the two
girls, who were flensing the seal down on the floor, one
cleaning the entrails, and the other blowing them up.
In this way they soon finished the task ; and before the
seal-flesh was boiled, the entrails had been dried, and
the girls were busy making a jacket of them for their
father. The host now got more talkative, and said, " I
am in want of a companion on my hunting excursions ;
we have plenty of good hunting hereabout. Away on
the ice is a place where the thong-seals have their
breathing-holes." When they were about to retire for
the night he added, " If thou wantest a wife, thou art
welcome to take one of my daughters." And thus Niv-
nitak became his son-in-law. Next day the father put
on the jacket of seal-entrails from yesterday's hunt ; and
they wandered a great distance on the ice together till
they reached the apertures made by the seals. The
father-in-law then said to Nivnitak, " As thou hast not
got my alacrity thou hadst better not catch more than
one at a time ; it is as much as I can manage to drag
along two of them." Meanwhile he soon caught a couple
of them. Nivnitak thought, I .should like to do the
same. When he had caught the first, and the father-
in-law had turned a little aside, he hastened to pull up
another, and thus he had two. They now prepared to
return, hauling their seals along with them, the host
continually observing the sun, and guiding himself by
it. After a while he said, " I suppose thou knowest thy
way by this time ; I think I will leave thee to follow in
my wake." When the father entered the main room he
said, " We cannot expect him before late, but still ye
must keep a look-out for him." The daughters kept wait-
ing and waiting for him, but he did not come home till
late in the night. The father-in-law never spoke to him,
but the daughters were delighted to see him, and at
once cut up the animals ; but when they were preparing
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242 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to make the dress, the entrails had shrunk, and got too
small ; and this was the reason why the father made
such haste in returning, that the entrails might not get
cold on the way, lest they should shrink and be unfit
for use. He was now displeased at having got a son-
in-law, who was not as clever as he wished him to be.
They went out together all the same next day, with a
similar result, and on the way home the father again told
him, that as he could not keep up with him, he would go
on beforehand. This time, however, Nivnitak was saying
to himself, " To-day I should just like to run a race with
him." However, he soon lost sight of him, and lost his
way besides ; but at the same time felt that his burden
was getting lighter. He continued running still faster,
and turning round he Saw that his two seals were swing-
ing round in the air after him. He passed by his host
in a great circuit, and was home in good time long be-
fore him. His wife instantly prepared the meal ; and
seeing the blown-up entrails clean and shining, Nivnitak
did not doubt that they would make him a nice jacket.
He let the meat be kept ready dressied for his father-in-
law, and the women had the jacket finished even before
his arrival. He put it on at once, and was standing out-
side mending his tools when the host made his appear-
ance. At first sight he thought that some visitor had
arrived during his absence, and not till he had passed the
iceberg did he recognise Nivnitak; but on finding it to be
him he was very well pleased, and again spoke familiarly
to him, saying, '* That's right, we will always succeed in
the end ; " but Nivnitak did not quite understand this
speech. Having seated themselves at the meal prepared,
he said, " Why, it has been getting quite cold and dry ; "
and he did not quite like it so ; nevertheless he was as
gay and talkative as could be. They now went on
having the same good luck, and Nivnitak totally forgot
his home and his grandchildren, and would not leave his
young wives. One day his father-in-law accosted him.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 243
saying, "The moon is now in the crescent, and our
neighbours will be coming to pay us a visit and practice
ball-playing ; to-morrow I shall stay at home and make
tools for the games, and we must all be smart and trim
in new dresses." Next day Nivnitak likewise stayed at
home, and his father-in-law brought in six large shoul-
der-blades of walrus. While preparing them he said,
" When the play has begun, and the ball has been
thrown, we must follow its course, and always be ready
to strike it ; if any one throws it wrong we shan't win ;
so thou must mind what thou art about. With this
spoon-like instrument we hit the ball ; I shall throw
it to my wife, and she to her daughter, and they will
send it on to thee ; take care that thou dost not make
any mistdke, or miss catching it, lest we should be
mocked and scorned." They also remained at home
the next day, and kept looking out at the windows as
well as at the entrance of the house for the expected
guests. At last a great many people appeared passing
round the southern point, and Nivnitak along with his
new relations quickly put on his new clothes and ran
out to meet them on the ice, shouting to them, " Here
we are with our new relative Nivnitak ! Let the play
begin at once ! " The strangers answered with a loud
yelL The ball, consisting of a large seal-skin stuffed
with sand and clay, and fashioned like a real seal, was
now brought out ; and the master of the house deter-
mined that Nivnitak, being the most dexterous, should
stand next to the adversaries. He then began the play
by throwing the ball to his wife ; and she running along
beneath it, thrust it to her younger daughter, she in her
turn to her elder sister, and she to her husband. But
when Nivnitak was about to strike it, he thought to him-
self, ** I only wish I may do well." That instant the
ball hit him with its whole force and knocked him down,
so that he was unable to rise. On this the enemies
shouted and yelled in great triumph, and took up the
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244 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ball, carrying it towards their dwelling-place. Their
opponents, however, pursued them, but without any re-
sult; and on turning round the host saw a multitude of
people, and not observing Nivnitak among them, he
suspected some evil. Hurrying on to his assistance he
found him almost dying. Some were filling his clothes
with snow, and others were actually trampling on him.
He drew him from out the heap ; but the enemies left
him with great glee and loud halloos. Nivnitak*s
clothes had been quite spoiled with the snow and the
mud, and in this state they got home — the father-in-law
sullen and cross. Soon afterwards he said, '* It will soon
be time for us to pay our neighbours a return visit; get
everything ready ; " and on departing, Nivnitak looked
very nice in his new suit ; but the father-in-law once
more admonished him, saying, " We must do our utmost
to vanquish them, and if thou doest wrong this time, we
will have nothing more to do with thee." Nivnitak,
however, did not deign to answer him. Having ap-
proached the abode of the neighbours, a tumultuous
roar was raised to welcome them, as was the custom,
and the ball was soon brought down on the ice. They
posted themselves in the same way as last time, and be-
gan the play according to the former rules. When it
was Nivnitak's turn to strike, he gave the ball such a
blow that it turned round in the air, and then flew
straight forward. It was now the father-in-law's turn
to run for it ; but Nivnitak had already reached it, and
hit it a second time. The adversaries now advanced
to give it a stroke; Nivnitak, however, always fore-
stalled them in getting up with it, and sending it
higher and higher aloft. Nobody could cope with him,
and thus he went on, pursuing the ball until he at length
reached home. Their rivals had at last to give in,
and retired to their house very much dejected, and Niv-
nitak's host cried out to them, " To-day ye lost the game,
better luck next time ! " On the way home he kept
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245
constantly repeating, " That's right, we will always suc-
ceed in the end." It was only now that Nivnitak under-
stood what the other had meant by saying so before.
Some time after, Nivnitak began to think of his old rela-
tives whom he had left in poverty,and want ; and one
day returning from his hunt he said to his wives, " Make
me a suit of tight clothes, jacket, breeches, and boots."
They at once set to work, and when the clothes were
ready he tried them on. They fitted him as if they had
been glued on to his body ; and where they were a little
too wide he at once had them altered. He then made
the suit into a bundle, and went to hide it beneath the
boat; and from this time secretly planned to return to
his own country. One night, when the others were
sound asleep, he tried to leap down on the floor ; but
on touching the edge of the bench, one of his wives
awoke, and he again went back, and quietly lay down
beside them. For several nights afterwards he repeated
his attempts, but was always obliged to turn in again.
One night he succeeded in getting down without any-
body awaking. In order, however, to make quite sure
that they were all fast asleep, he again stepped up on
the ledge. On finding that the noise had awakened np^Qoole
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246 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
body, he jumped down on the floor above the entrance
of the room, and gliding out noiselessly, he went and
dressed himself in his tight clothes, which had been hid-
den beneath the boat. Having also put on his outer
coat, which was hanging on the poles outside the house,
he took hold of his spear, and climbed the low roof of
the house, and sallied forth in the opposite direction he
wanted to take, making circular tracks in the snow as
he went along. After a while he jumped and crossed
the little promontory, and got down on the ice, which
stretched away as far as his own country. There he
again made large round tracks, always leaping from one
side to the other, so that his family should not be able
to be guided by his footmarks. Proceeding on his way,
he at length reached a coast with a steep ascent and
high slope, covered with heath. Having once more
formed plenty of round circles on the ice, he jumped
ashore and climbed an edge of the rock, where he stuffed
his outer coat well with moss, and again leaped down.
On the ice he built a snow-hut, and placed the stuffed
coat inside it, spear in hand, with the back turned out-
wards, that it might resemble a living man. After this
he again went back, and climbed the steep rock, await-
ing the arrival of the pursuers. At sunrise several people
who had come out in search of him were to be seen on
the ice, sometimes single, sometimes making joint efforts
to find the track. At last, halting at the snow-house,
they approached it cautiously; but no sooner had the
foremost detected the figure in the doorway than he
thrust his spear straight at it, and Nivnitak heard them
call out, " Well, well, we ought to have kept a better
watch upon him while he was with us, showing well
enough that he was not a real man ; but anyhow we
have done with him now;" and then they returned,
satisfied that they had killed him. When they had
quite disappeared, Nivnitak again leapt down the rocks.
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The sun was then high in the heavens ; but before it had
quite set, he reached the shore of his own country, and
found his grandchildren, who had totally given him up,
prospering and doing well. In the spring-time, when
the ice had vanished, he. got a fancy to go and see his
native place; but having arrived there, he determined
to spend the rest of his days in this place, and did not
travel any more. He lived to see his grandchildren's
grandchildren, but at length the flesh of his body be-
came all shrivelled and shrunk ; and finally, at a very
old age, he died.
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248 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
37.
THE BROTHER WHO WENT TO AKILINEK
IN SEARCH OF HIS SISTER.
[In regard to this story, which is very widely known in Greenland, we
refer to the introductory sections, where it is pointed out as one
of those most probably resting upon a historical basis, representing
the invention of dog-sledging, or the teaming and training of some
wild animal, from which the present Eskimo dog has descended.
Akilinek is now by the Greenlanders considered a fabulous country
beyond the sea ; but it may be supposed to have been a real country
opposite to the original homesteads of their ancestors.]
AN old man had a son and two daughters. His son
being a first-rate hunter and provider, the father
at length gave up kayaking himself. His son could
overtake and outrun every animal on shore ; and at sea
he was an excellent hand at harpooning. His eldest
sister used to follow him along the shore, where she
amused herself by catching partridges in little traps, and
generally got a good many. At a time when the sea
was frozen over, they one day went away to the outer-
most islets. There the brother saw a fox and set off to
pursue it. After a short absence among the islets, he
returned with the fox ; but meanwhile the sister was
gone. He looked for her everywhere, and called out,
but she did not come. At length he detected the trace
of a sledge, but as it was growing dark, he had to go
home without his sister. On his return, he grew silent
and reserved, but after a while said to his father, " Oh
how much I should like to have a sledge ! '* The
father rather favoured this idea, and at once set about
making him one. The next morning the son set out on
foot, but returned at nightfall without having killed
anything, and went to sleep without saying a word. In
the morning he asked his father to provide him with
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 249
some cords, saying that he wanted to fetch home an
animal to pull his sledge for him ; and then he went off
and stayed away. Towards evening a strange noise was
heard, and the little sister went outside to see what it
was, but instantly returned in great alarm, exclaiming,
*' Oh, what dreadful monster is this my dear brother has
brought home with him ? " Whefn he entered, the father
asked him, " What beast is it thou hast got ? " " Why,
it is only a little bear I have caught to drag my sledge ;
I hope thou wilt make a harness for it ; I want him to be
trained shortly." The father complied, and the son left
off hunting for a while in order to train the bear ; but
when he had finished this, he took him along with him
on his excursions. Another time he again returned late
in the evening quite exhausted, and turned in without
speaking a word. The following morning he asked his
father for more cords ; but this time they must be still
stronger. Having received what he wanted, he went
away. In the evening a strange noise was again heard,
on which the little sister went outside, but returned
quite horrified, saying that it was still more frightful
than the last time. When he had entered, and the
father questioned him, he answered, " Oh, it's nothing
but a little amarok (wolf or fabulous animal) I have
caught to match the bear." These two, however, could
not agree; and he had often to use his whip to part
them when they were going to fight. After training,
however, they pulled very well together ; but now he
wanted a third one, and having set out for it in the
morning, he did not return till late at night, when his
parents had long been quite miserable on account of
his long absence ; and he went to sleep as before with-
out speaking to any one. The next morning he applied
to his father for strings and lashings, but this time none
but the very strongest would serve him ; having got
them, he went off as usual. In the evening there was
a terrible noise outside, for now he had got the b^ar,
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the amarok, and an agshik (a fabulous monster) fighting
each other. At length he had them all tamed and
trained ; and he once more turned to his father, saying,
" All I wish for is a sledge." His father was quite will-
ing, and made him one of very hard wood, with many
knots in it. When the sea was frozen over, he went out
to try his team, following the coast southwards, and
returned towards evening on the same day. When his
father questioned him as to how far he had been, he
answered : " If thou wert to leave with a boat early in
spring, thou wouldst not have reached the place I got
at to-day before autumn. In going home we made
great speed, but the bear got tired, and I was obliged to
take him into the sledge beside me ; but the agshik is
incapable of tiring, and will be of great use to me." The
next day he travelled on in the same manner to the
north, returning home at night ; and having made some
similar remarks, he added, " The agshik, I find, is soon
provoked, and goes off in a fury ; he will be rather dan-
gerous for strangers to encounter/' The ice now cover-
ing the sea all over, and not having broken up, although
it had been very stormy, he supposed he might trust
himself out on it ; and the weather again became settled
and beautiful. He then spoke to his parents thus:
" Don't ye remember the day I wandered out on the ice
with my sister and lost her there .^ Since that day I
have sought her far and near all over our country:
where can she have gone to } Not even the bones of
her corpse did I find ; but on the day I lost her, in look-
ing for her, I noticed the marks of a sledge on the ice,
leading right to sea. Any other trace of her I have
never seen ; and therefore I should now like to go across
to Akilinek, as I shall certainly not be at rest until I
have found her." The parents tried to persuade him to
stay, saying, " It does not matter for thy sister, who
has been lost to us for such a great length of time ;
don't go away in search of her as far away as that, but
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bear in mind thou art now our only provider. Out
yonder is a cleft in the ice so wide that thou mayst
never cross it/' The son then rejoined, " To be sure
my animals cannot swim ; the bear only in some degree
is capable of that : but if I don't succeed, I shall, of
course, return." The parents repeated their warnings,
but he got all the more bent upon going, come what
might, so that he should only find his sister. When he
arrived at the exact spot where he had formerly seen
the trace of a sledge, he turned right seawards, and after
a while lost sight of the land. The bear now got tired
as before, and being only a hindrance, he took it on the
sledge. Driving continually straight on, he again came
in sight of land, and observed the tracks of many
sledges ; and on approaching the shore, he saw them in
all directions. He now looked all around him to find
out which way he had better turn. In the meantime he
had made fast his animals to an iceberg near the strand,
and went to shore himself to see if any people were to
be found there. He had not walked long before he saw
a number of houses, which made him stop and consider ;
but after a while he advanced, and having found an en-
trance, he walked up to a large house and went inside.
Having entered and given the inmates a look, he at
once recognised his sister sitting down with a baby on
her lap. When he had seated himself on the side bench,
she also recognised him, and they began to speak to
each other, and she said, "On the same day thou left me
to pursue thy fox, a man in a sledge happened to pass
by ; and in no time I was taken up and carried away to
this place, and that is the reason why thou seest me
here. I am married, but at present my husband is out
as usual. However, I expect him home very soon, and
when he comes thou must look at him well." The
brother now rejoined, " Since that day I have done no-
thing but try to find thee out ; all over the country I
have travelled in search of thee ; how lucky it is that I
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252 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
find thee at last ! " Whilst they sat waiting, some one
called out, " There he is coming ! " and looking out at
the window the brother-in-law saw his sister's husband
driving on towards the house with a number of young
reindeer pulling his sledge. Though he sped on at a
good rate, the other thought his own* animals still
swifter, and considering himself to be quite a match for
the new-comer, he again seated himself without any
further remark. When the husband entered, he kept
his eyes constantly fixed on the visitor sitting beside his
wife ; and without a word to any one, leaned back on
the ledge after having taken his place upon it, so that
nothing but his heels resting on the edge of it were
visible. The relatives being thus interrupted, left off
speaking for a time ; however, she told her brother that
it was for fear of her husband, who used to speak very
little, she added, being of a shy disposition. On hearing
this he came a little closer to them, and they began to
converse together. The guest spoke of his happiness in
seeing his sister so well off, and said, that seeing she had
such a good provider, he would not trouble himself any
more about her in future ; and further, he proposed that
they should come and visit him and his parents on tlie
opposite shore. But his brother-in-law did not fancy
this much : he gave as a pretext that the cold would be
too severe for the children. Both now wanted to per-
suade him to stay, but he said he must needs go and
look after his animals, without mention of what kind
they were. His relatives gave him some of the chil-
dren's clothes for a gift to the parents : he put them on
his shoulders, went to his sledge, and departed. When
he had got so far that he had lost sight of the land, the
bear again got tired, and was taken in beside him. On
his return, his parents rejoiced greatly at seeing the
clothes of their daughter's little children, and on hearing
that their long-missed daughter was coming to visit
them. One day during fine weather, when they were
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anxiously expecting them, sledges were seen coming
across the ice, which made them all very happy, and the
little sister, who was of a merry temper, was hardly
able to contain her joy. When her sister's sledge had
come still closer, she gave a jump and bounded over the
boat, which was put up on the boat -pillars. But all of a
sudden the sledgers were seen to put about — probably
they took fright at seeing her brother's animals and at
the girl indulging in such wild pranks. They now
called out loudly for them, and the parents were very
much distressed and wept together. This sight made
the son take pity on the old people, and to punish the
fugitives he let loose the agshik, being the most furious
of the lot, to pursue them. In a moment the sledgers
as well as the agshik disappeared ; but on his return
the agshik was all bloody around the muzzle. In all
likelihood he devoured them all. The brother did not
go in search of them, as he did not expect any of them
to be alive.
Note, — The tale here given is nearly literally translated from one manu-
script; besideswhich three copies have been received, and one verbal narration
has been written down by the author himself. The latter, comprising the
most frequent variations of the tale, substitutes a cousin in the place of the
brother. When he had turned mute and sorrowful on account of his
having lost a dear companion, his father spoke to him saying, *' At the
neighbouring hamlet to the north of us, there arc several old people, and
old people generally are rich in stories ; go to them for the purpose of
cheering thy mind." One morning the son at length took a fancy to go
and visit these old folks ; and on his arrival there, one old man told him
how in the days of his youth, when he had been roaming about in quest
of sport and excitement, he had once on the brink of a rock happened to
discover a kukUsook (fabulous animal with great fangs) with its young ones.
While he was gazing at these awful beasts, a little sparrow happened to
pass by, flying over their heads. At the same moment the old animal,
which had till then been couchant, bounded into the air, snatching the
body of the sparrow so that the wings fell to the ground separately, at the
sight of which the man had been struck with terror, and fled the spot for
ever. The visitor on hearing this asked exact information about the lo-
cality of the place, and having returned to his father, made ready for an
excursion, upon which he captured a kukissook. The remaining part of
the story agrees with the version given. But when the cousin with her
husband and child comes to visit their relatives, instead of being frightened
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 255
and turning back, they decided to stay with them ; but the brother-in-law
from Akilinek did not dare to step outside the house for fear of the sledge
animals, and being too tall for the ledge, he was obliged to lie on the floor.
At length he grew tired and ventured outside, whereupon the cousin of his
wife set the kukissook upon him, causing him to be torn to pieces. He
then also went on to kill the child, sa3ring it was of no real human descent,
and might grow like its father. The two cousins then adopted their former
mode of life, roaming about their home together, where their bones are
now resting. The illustration accompanying the text refers to one of the
written variations of the story.
38.
USSUNGUSSAK OR SAVNIMERSOK.
[This tale, taken from two of the older manuscripts, is given here on
account of its apparent mythological reference ; otherwise it will be
found to be somewhat fragmentary and obscure. ]
A NUMBER of people once lived together in a
large house. Among them was a man named
Ussungussak, who generally came home empty-handed,
when all the others returned with what they had caught,
for which his wife used to scold him. One night she had
gone on rating him worse than usual, and in the morn-
ing he had disappeared. He kayaked along shore, and
having rounded a point he saw a man standing on the
beach. At first he was frightened ; but then he thought
a little, and finally concluded, "Why should I be afraid
at the very moment I have resolved to go and lead a
solitary life all by myself.?" When the man on shore
called him, he alternately approached and again turned
back ; but when he had come pretty close to the beach,
the other threw out a trap, by which he drew him in,
and ordered him to follow to the inland. They now
wandered along together and came to the gulf of the
earth. There, poor Ussungussak began to whine and
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howl ; but the inlander put a cord round his neck,
straining it so hard that he was nearly choked ; when
he again untied him, however, they had safely passed
the fearful precipice. Having next crossed a beautiful
meadow, they gained the house of the inlander, who
had a wife but no children. In the morning Ussungus-
sak was ordered to remain at home, while the master of
the house went away himself, and returned very noisily
in the evening with what he had taken. In this way
several days went by ; but at length Ussungussak got
desirous to see his own home, and the inlander accom-
panied him on the way. This time they did not see the
precipice ; but arriving at the coast they saw a great
many killed seals on the beach, being those which the
inlander, standing on shore, had caught in his trap.
When Ussungussak was about to take leave, the in-
lander said, " Henceforth thou canst take some of these
seals, but mind, thou art not to be too greedy: thou
mayst take one at a time to begin with ; afterwards
thou mayst take two." Ussungussak then returned to
his homestead and housemates, who \yere having good
hunting at the time. The next day he again disap-
peared, but in the evening returned with two seals.
The following day he brought home three ; the others
asked him whereabouts he had got them. He answered,
" Out at the most seaward place ; " and they demanded
of him whether they might not accompany him thither.
But when he had carried away the very last of the lot,
he one night returned without anything at all, and was
again scolded by his wife. The day after he left as
before, and kayaking along shore he at length turned
a point, and again beheld the inlander. This time he
willingly approached him when he was called, and went
along with him ; but when they had gained the preci-
pice, he did not get over this time, but was fairly
strangled. When Ussungussak's relations and house-
mates had been expecting him in vain for five days, one
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257
of the kayakers went out in search of him. He en-
countered the inlander, and asked him whether he had
not seen a man. " To be sure I have, and I killed him
myself ! " At this the other thrust his harpoon at him,
and he ran on with the hunting-bladder dragging be-
hind him, and thus disappeared. The coastman now
took his spear and bladder-arrow, following him swiftly,
and found him drawing out the point; but he now
lanced another spear at him, while the inlander kept
running on so' fast that the bladder flew up high in the
air. Finally, he flung his arrow at him, and this at last
did for him, and he expired ; upon which the pursuer
cut him up, and put his knee on the nape of his neck.
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258 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
39.
THE CHILD-MONSTER.
AMONGST a number of people who lived in the
same house, one woman was in the act of child-
birth, when all of a sudden the midwife attending her
cried out in great dismay, "Ah, it is a monster,
with great big teeth ; it is tearing my arm ! '* As she
spoke, all the inmates fled away to the boat, which
was turned keel upwards, and to the top of a great
rock ; only two boys with their sister could find no
room there, and they therefore hurried out to the pro-
vision - house. Meantime the monster appeared, drag-
ging along his own mother, her hair all loose and
flying about her, and it soon turned upon those on
the boat. Not being able itself to climb, it ate away
the pillars beneath, so that, when they gave way, all
the people came tumbling down, and were devoured.
It next came to the rock, and those who had taken
refuge on it pushed and knocked against each other for
horror, till all but one lost their footing, and came down
heads over heels. The monster now ordered the rock
to upset, and the very last of them was made away with.
When these were all killed, the beast turned against the
provision-house, but stopping, entered the main house
instead ; this process was repeated several times, and it
always remained inside a little longer each time. During
the last interval the children fled out of sight, and went
far into the country, until they came in sight of a house.
They went in and told their story and the cause of their
flight, and stayed there for the night. Most of the
inmates had gone to sleep ; the sister, however, did not
dare to do so, and kept awake. At midnight she heard
some Qne saying, " They have probably themselves put
their housemates to death, though they tell us a different
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story. The safest thing will be to have them killed in
the morning." At this speech she got greatly alarmed,
and when the others had gone off to sleep, she roused
her brothers, and once more they fled on and reached
another house, where they met the very same fate. But
when they made their escape from this place the second
night, the sister took one of her brother's boots and
thrust it several times against the house-door, at the
same time pronouncing a spell, that the people within
might all perish. Pursuing their way, they fell in with
a man of extraordinary size, carrying one half of a rein-
deer on his shoulders. The sister said to the youngest
brother, " Go and try to make him understand why we
have come here;" and she told him how to put his
words. When the boy had finished, the big man took
them along with him to his own house, the interior of
which was nicely furnished and hung with reindeer-
skins all along the walls. There they remained, and
made a meal upon some dry meat. This done, the girl
said to her brothers, " Reindeer-meat is good eating, no
doubt ; but what would make it eat .still better ? " —
" Mixing it up with some nice partridges, to be sure." —
" So thou must make haste and go out and get some."
Off they went ; a flapping of wings was presently heard,
and lots of birds were brought into the house. "While
they were busy eating them, the sister repeated, " Par-
tridges are very nice, sure enough ; but what would make
them eat still better.? " — " Mixing them up with some nice
hares, to be sure !" — &c. ; and so they went out and caught
a great many hares. The sister once more repeated what
she had said, mentioning all kinds of game and fowls,
and at last she said, " Young serdlemaks (fabulous birds)
are exceedingly nice, but the large ones, — oh, be quick,
be quick I " But the huge man said, " I never hunted
that fowl without some misgivings ; when she is hatch-
ing her eggs on the lee side of yonder point, and catches
the seals, she is rather dangerous." Still, they all ran
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out to have a look at it ; but seeing it perched on its
rock, and sometimes rising to snatch at them, they were
afraid, and again retired ; only the younger brother re-
mained, and was torn asunder by it. Then the sister
shouted, " It is now time for me to interfere ; " upon
which they all ran out together ; she quickly pulled out
her boot, struck at the bird with it, and killed it on the
spot. She now cut it up, and found its pouch filled with
seal-bones, among which she likewise found those of her
brother. When these had all been singled out, she car-
ried them with her. While she was yet on the way, she
felt them move ; and when they got close to the house
she put them down, and the brother quickly revived,
seemingly quite unhurt, and they all of them reached
home safely.
Note. — We find several stories treating of this same subject, generally
representing the monster as the revenger of some act of atrocity or misbe-
haviour and injustice. In one of them the monster at first is an im^becile
child, called Tungavik, neglected and ill-treated by its housemates, till all
of a sudden, having been mute before, it acquired the faculty of speech,
and set to eating its mother's breast, afterwards devouring both its parents
and all its housemates, excepting two orphan children, who had shown
kindness towards it.
40.
THE KIVIGTOK.
[This story, taken from an old manuscript, is only a sample of the many
narratives treating about this very popular subject, which will be
found more or less intermixed in various other tales of this collection.]
THERE was once a man who had several sons ; of
these, the second son turned kivigtok (viz., fled
the society of mankind). This happened in the winter-
time ; but next summer the father, as well as his other
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sons, went away from home in order to search for the
fugitive. In this manner summer went by and winter
came round, but still they had not found him. When
summer was again approaching, they made all prepara-
tions for another search, this time to other places, along
another firth. Late in autumn they at length chanced
to find out his solitary abode, in an out-of-the-way
place, after having traversed the country in every direc-
tion for ever so long. His habitation was a cave or
hollow in a rock, the inside being covered with reindeer-
skin, and the entrance of which had been carefully
closed up. At the time of their arrival the kivigtok
was still out hunting ; but a little later they saw him
advance towards the place from the inland, dragging a
whole deer along with him. The brothers were lying
in ambush for him ; and when he came close to them
they seized hold of him. He recognised them at once,
and gave a loud cry like that of a reindeer, and said,
" Do let me off ; I shan't flee." The father now asked
him to -return with them, adding, " This is the second
summer in which we have given up our hunt in order to
find thee out, and, now we have succeeded, thou really
must come home with us ; " and he answered, " Yes,
that I will." They remained in the cave during the
night, enjoying each other's company. Next day they
had much to do with the tilings that had to be taken
back with them, the store-room, besides his dwelling-
place, being filled with dry meat and skins. They
tied up bundles to be taken down one by one to the
tent of his relatives, which was pitched at some distance
near the firth by which they were to travel home.
When they were about to set off with the first loads,
they wanted him to follow them ; he excused himself,
however, saying, " When ye go down the last time I
shall follow ; but I must stay and take care of these
things." They went without him ; but on their return
the kivigtok had disappeared, and taken the remainder
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262 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
of the provisions with him, and the brothers g^ew ex-
ceedingly vexed with themselves, that they had thus
relied on his word, without leaving any one in charge of
him. But all too late. Some time afterwards, when
they had gone out again to look for him, he terrified
them by yelling and howling at them from the summit
of a steep and altogether inaccessible rock. How he
had got there they could not make out, but finding it
impossible to follow him, they were obliged to give him
up for lost.
41.
THE WOMAN WHO GOT CONNECTED WITH THE
INGNERSUITi OR UNDER-WORLD PEOPLE.
IT once happened that two men went out deer-hunting,
accompanied by a woman. On the way they scolded
her, at which she got vexed, and tied up her boots in
order to remain behind. They waited a whilje for her,
but at length went along without her, and soon lost
sight of her, as she had purposely hidden herself behind
some large heaps of stones. She heard them seeking
for her close beside her hiding-place, and lamenting
their loss ; but nevertheless she remained quiet until
they were gone. When she was thus left alone she
crept forth and went off in an opposite direction. After
some time she came to a guWs mound^ and observed a
man coming out from it ; she tried to escape, but he
seized hold of her, and asked her to follow him to his
dwelling-place in the guU's-hill, as he wished to marry
^ Cor. sp. ingnennilt, plur. of ingnenniftk, signifying a sort of elves
or spirits, having their abodes in the rocks along the sea.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 263
her. She followed him reluctantly; but when he opened
it to her, she noticed that it was covered with reindeer-
skins on the walls, and on the whole looked quite com-
fortable. She now left off crying, entered the hill, and
became his wife, and in due time she bore him a child,
whom the father wanted to be named Imitlungnarsun-
guak. The wife, however, remonstrated, saying, " That
she had not got any relatives of that name ; " but the
husband answered her, " It did not matter ; he would
take care to make a great huntsman of him," — and then
she let him call the boy as he liked. When he grew on,
and his mother had spent a good many winters in this
place, she longed for her former home, and wished to
return. The husbaftd merely answered her, "I claim
his first catch, mind ! " and then she left him along with
her son, and went back to her old relatives and house-
mates, and once more lived with them. When the
other children played with her son, she used to tell
them not to do him any harm ; and for fear of his un-
known father they desisted. When he was quite gfrown
up, and saw the men prepare for the hunt, he was very
desirous to join them ; his mother observing this, went
outside and shouted out aloud, " Now get him some
tools 1 " When she came out next morning she found
them lying on the ground, close beside the entry. When
the son brought home what he had caught for the first
time, she again went out and cried with all her might,
" Imitlungnarsunguak has caught a seal ! '[ and when
she was about to re-enter, the people were all very busy
in dragging this seal into the house. When they had
reached the farther end of the passage, it could not be
lifted across the threshold into the room, but rolled
back, and in no time had vanished. The father, of
course, had taken it away. His aiext catch the mother
got ; but when he went out hunting the third time, he
remained away. His mother now mended his clothes
and put them to rights, and in the evening went outside
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264 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
as before, shouting something at the pitch of her voice,
upon which his garments came flying out of the house,
and she hurried after them. When they had got as far
as the beach, the coast-ice appeared to be lifted up, and
left room for the clothes to slip down beneath, — ^the
mother following them closely. She now came to a
house under ground belonging to ingnersuit, and there
found her son, tied hands and feet. Loosening him she
hurried him into his clothes, and brought him away with
her. Her own name was Nagguanguak.
42.
ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF TWO COUSINS.
THERE were once two cousins living together at
the same winter-station, and at the time, their
wives were both childless. In spring they parted from
each other, saying, " Well, we will see who first gets a
child." One travelled away to the south, and estab-
lished himself for the coming winter. At this place he
lived in prosperity, and his wife bore him a child. When
the boy grew up, the father took a fancy to return to
his cousin. He, however, had still no children ; and for
this reason he caught a young deer, and trained it up
for his amusement At length it improved so much
that it could understand human speech. About that
period the cousin returned, and he first beheld the calf
running about outside the house. The cousins once
more lived together, and the boy and the calf became
playmates. The calf, however, soon grew stronger, and
sometimes knocked over the boy, at which he wept. For
this reason the boy's father went and shot the calf.
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though he loved his cousin dearly. The childless man
got into a great rage at this, and at once challenged his
cousin, and they met, armed with their bows ; the child-
less man shot his cousin on the spot, but was very much
afflicted afterwards, and burst into a flood of tears. The
son of the man that had been thus killed removed to a
distance, for he could not endure the sight of his father's
cousin. When he was full-grown and strong he returned
to the place, but he had come too late — ^the cousin was.
no more. He heard some rumour of an enormously
strong man who used to rob other men of their wives ;
he challenged him to a wrestling-match, and overcame
and killed him, and returned the women to their own
husbands.
43.
THE GIRL WHO WAS STOLEN BY AN
INLANDER.
[This tale appearing somewhat obscure and fragmentary, has been added
here only on account of its probable relation to Nos. 28 and 30. The
details in the different manuscripts of these three stories appear to be
more or less confoimded and intermixed.]
A BROTHER and a sister once lived together, and
were very much attached to each other. The
sister, who was very desirous of going off for the
salmon-fishing, asked her brdther to take her up to a
salmon river. Not being able to deny her, he put the
boat into the sea and went with her to the fishing-place ;
but when they had landed and* discharged the boat,
putting all their things on the beach, she climbed a
little way up the rocks, and went across a smooth level
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266 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to the brook. All at once she saw an inorusek (fabulous
giant-like inlander) close beside her. Stupefied with
terror, she tried to escape ; but he caught hold of her
and carried her further and further inland. The others
plainly heard her shrieks for help, and hurried off to
rescue her; but she was already gone, and her cries
soon died away among the mountains. In the mean-
time the inorusek carried her up through the highlands
. till they stopped at a place with a number of huts. He
intended to marry her, but first brought her to the
house of a neighbour, where he put her down on the
ledge and seated himself in front of her. She cried in-
cessantly, but whenever she tried to run away, he took
hold of her like a little child and put her down again.
While she was thus sitting, an old woman peeped across
the screen of the ledge, asking her, "What wouldst
thou like to eat } dost thou like talu ? " and the unhappy
girl thought to herself, " I wonder what talu is like !"
She soon heard the old woman step down to fetch
something, and though still weeping, she peeped
through her fingers, and perceived it to be the fat of a
deer's heart they were giving her. However, she would
not take it, and the old woman again retired. Then
she again asked her, " Wouldst thou like some emowtV
and the girl still crying, answered, " What may it be
like t " This time she saw the old hag produce some
common tallow, saying, "Now do eat that and be
quiet ; " but she would not take that either. Being
very disheartened, she continued to weep ; and the old
woman now menaced her, and threatened to take away
her boots, at which she cried still more. Then she
heard a rattling noise, and peeping through her fingers,
she saw a strange figure, all bones and joints, creeping
along the ledge towards her. This creature warned her,
saying, " Leave off crying, lest they should treat thee as
they did me. I was once like thee ; I was stolen and
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brought to this place, and because I would not leave off
crying, they took away my boots and gave me others
filled with reptiles, spiders, and vermin. They fastened
them on my legs, and when they were taken off, the
flesh was all gone." When the skeleton had done
speaking, she cried all the more. The old hag now in
an outburst of ill temper and vexation approached ;
and she saw her holding a pair of boots, in which she
observed something crawling about ; but the giant took
hold of them and flung them away into the corner of
the room, and then at length she was able to leave off
crying. Her husband, however, kept a close watch
upon her, and led her by the hand whenever she wished
to go out. One day she said to him, " Don't go on
watching me so ; I have no intention of leaving thee
now; I like thee very much, and thou mayst safely
leave me and go out deer-hunting as usual." After that
she feigned to go behind the house ; but she started
from her hiding-place and ran up and down hill, and
continued running towards the coast until she reached
the tent of her parents, where she burst right through
the door-curtain, not giving herself time to draw it
before entering. She hastened to say, " Let us be off
at once and remove to some other place ; the inlanders
are sure to come and seek me here." They at once
left the mainland to settle down on one of the farthest-
off islets ; and after that time they never again ventured
to pitch their tents on the continent.
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268 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
44.
THE CHILD THAT WAS STOLEN BY THE
INLANDERS.
AM AN, whose name was Tungnerdluk, had his fixed
abode by a firth, from which he made his regular
excursions into the highlands to hunt the reindeer, and
generally he was lucky. In winter he carried on seal-
hunting at the mouth of the firth. One summer he was
out chasing the deer as usual, and during his absence
his wife went away to gather berries among the heather,
with their only child. She put the boy down on the sod,
and left him a moment; but she had hardly turned away
before she heard him crying out. Although she instantly
turned back, she did not find him in his place, but only
heard his lamentations a long way off from where she
was standing. She returned to the tent in great afflic-
tion, and told how she had suffered her child to be taken
by the inlanders, adding that she feared her husband's
anger. In the evening he returned, heavily laden, and
they heard him call out, " I have got plenty of reindeer-
flesh for thee." On finding that nobody answered, he
at once knew that some mischief had befallen them in
his absence. He hurried in, and -breathlessly asked if
his son had died. The wife made no answer ; but the
others enlightened him, saying, " She let the inlanders
take him ;" upon which Tungnerdluk asked his trembling
wife to put new soles on his boots — he wanted to go
and consult his cousin, who was an angakok. This man
pointed out the place to which the boy had been taken,
and accompanied the father on his way to find him. At
a good distance they reached a large house; and the
angakok now told him he must go up to it alone, and
that he himself would have to return. Tungnerdluk
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 269
peeped in at the window, and saw two terrible women
quarrelling and fighting about his weeping child. He
leapt down into the outer passage ; but he was obliged
to creep on hands and feet to get through the inner one
up into the main room. Having at last succeeded, he
made his way up to the two hags to snatch his child ;
but whenever he tried to take it from one woman, she
directly handed it to the other, and thus they went on a
good while. A huge man at length entered, who said
he would assist him, declaring that he had sprung from
the coast people. He said, " Thou'dst better run on be-
forehand : be sure I will soon come after with the child ;
but mind be quick — my house-fellows will soon be pur-
suing us." And Tungnerdluk came running at full speed,
and entered his tent, saying, " Make ready to depart at
once ; " and meanwhile the other entered with the child.
They folded their tents, and quickly loaded their boat ;
and at the very moment they pushed from shore they
saw their enemies descending the hills. When they had
fairly got down to the beach, Tungnerdluk could not
resist putting back to fight them, and he soon despatched
one of them with his harpoon, and then followed his own
people out of the firth. After this his son fell sick, and
again he consulted an angakok, who was not, however,
able to find out the cause of his complaint. He then
called another one, who was besides renowned as a per-
former of headlifting (a peculiar charm for discovering
the cause of sickness). He conjured and called up
spirits ; and lying down on his back, he first let go his
breath, then rose up, and again began to breathe, saying,
" The child's spirit is still with the inlanders." The father
rejoined, " Then lose no time in preparing for an angakok-
flight to bring it back and restore it to us;" and he flew
away to the inlanders, fetching the spirit of the child
home with him. On his return to the parents, he heard
the voice of the child growing weaker ; but by restoring
the spirit to it, the baby soon recovered. Tungnerdluk
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270 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
paid the angakok well with different kinds of victuals,
adding, " Whenever thou shouldst happen to be in any
distress, I will gladly assist thee." Shortly afterwards
he had two visitors who had come on purpose to mock
him. On their approach, he observed that one carried
a lot of whalebones with him. They addressed him,
saying, " We have heard of the celebrated Tungnerdluk,
who fetched his child back from the inlanders ; pray tell
us some of thy achievements : we will make thee a pre-
sent of our whalebones in return." Tungfnerdluk an-
swered, " I am not in want of any such thing," — ^whereat
he took them to his storehouse, where he showed them
his large stock of whalebones as well as of walrus-teeth.
Seeing this, they respectfully retired, and left the place
without so much as entering the house.
Note. — A story very similar to this has been received in another manu-
script, and through a verbal narration written down by the author. The
principal difference consists in the fact of the inlanders being replaced by
the amarsiniook (a fabulous monster, which lived upon one of the moun-
tain-tops emerging from the inland ice). The old Hdaumassok (or angakok
of an inferior class), who brought back the child, was again overtaken by
the amarsiniook, who put both of them into his hood. The angakok then
summoned his tomaJkSf the sUngkitter and i\\tfalcony of which the latter
succeeded in vanquishing the monster, and making him drop the old man
and the child out of his hood.
45.
THE ANGAKOK'S FLIGHT TO AKILINEK.
[The following three tales are here given separately, but nevertheless pat
under one number, their contents being, on the one hand, interesting
with regard to the information implied about the art oiangakut (plur.
of angakok) in general, while, on the other, they are somewhat imper-
fect and obscure, so as to make it difficult to decide whether we have
one or two original stories before us. The first was written down in
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 2/1
North Greenland before 1830 ; the second in the southernmost part of
Greenland, about i860 ; and the last has been written down by the
author himself from a verbal narration, but is given here only in an
abridged form. Akilinek is the fobnlous country beyond the ocean.]
(i.) 'TT^HERE was once a very clever angakok. When
X he was about to practise his art, and his limbs
had been tied and the lamps extinguished, he took flight,
and having found the wind favourable, he flew across the
sea, but did not sight the opposite shore before daybreak,
when he was obliged to return. Several times he tried
to get farther away, but was never able to pass beyond
this mark ; and therefore he determined to educate his
son for an angakok, hoping that he might possibly be
brought to excel him. When the boy was grown up, he
went through all the grades and branches of the angakok-
science with him ; but when the father proposed to give
up teaching him, the son turned very moody and low-
spirited. The father now questioned him, saying, " Is
there any part of the science thou thinkest we have
overlooked, and neglected to practise.?" and the son
answered, " I think there is ; " whereat the father re-
called all the exercises they had gone through, one by
one, but after due meditation asked him, " Didst thou
visit the graves ? " The son told him he had not ; and
the father said, " Well, I will take thee thither this even-
ing ; " whereat the son was very glad. At the time ap-
pointed, they wandered to the burying-grounds, where
the father opened one of the graves, and undid the pall
of a corpse beneath the waist, and made his son thrust
his hand right into the flesh of the deceased body. This
done, the father left him as if nothing at all were the
matter. When the son was about to follow him, the
father remarked, " As yet thou hast observed nothing
particular at this tomb ; but wait till thou seest the last
rays of the setting sun, and take not thy eyes from its
splendour : but the moment thou dost notice a spark of
light falling down from it, beware, and flee the place at
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once." While he was yet standing and gazing at the
declining sun, the father suddenly beheld something
glistening through the brightness of the sky, at the
sight of which he immediately took flight, but the son
remained with his hands attached to the corpse, unable
to extricate himself. Not until midnight did he return,
all smiles and joy; and now the father deemed him
thoroughly tried and expert in his art. On the night of
the following day he resolved to bind him for his first
flight When the lamps had all been extinguished, the
son flew out. Having no particular end or aim, however,
he only went backwards and forwards, but saw nothing
very remarkable : his father questioned him concerning
the currents of the air, but he did not happen to have
taken note of any. The next day he again prepared
for an angakok flight, and this time observed that the
wind was favourable. He crossed part of the sea, and
soon perceived that he was taking the same course as
his father. At last great perpendicular rocks arose in
front of him, and he had reached now the limit of his
father's journey. He continued his flight towards it;
and having with some difficulty succeeded in passing it,
he saw an extensive country : crossing it in a southerly
direction, he came upon a small house, and alighted
close beside it. It was a house with two windows ; and
peeping within, he saw one man standing at each win-
dow, and watching him closely. One of the men went
out and beckoned to a woman : on seeing the stranger,
he invited him to step inside ; and as both were entering,
they met the woman in the passage ready to follow, and
he now turned to her, saying, " Thou seest I have brought
a visitor." Having passed the doorway, the angakok
seated himself on the side-ledge to the right, and on the
opposite side he saw a squint-eyed person, whose breath
was like fire (peculiar to angakut, and also only to be
observed by them). At his feet were chips of bone, at
which he had been working. Further away he observed
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 273
a woman, whose body was all over hairy. When the
squint-eyed man noticed that he was being looked at,
he said, "Why dost thou thus stare at me?" "Oh, I
was only looking at the chips at thy feet." The other
answered, " In the summer I have not got time to make
chips, and that is why I am at it now." Some of them
said, " Perhaps our visitor would like to show us some
of his art ? " and he answered, " Why, I am not unwilling,
though it is but the second time I have practised angakok
science." They all repaired to the kagse (their house of
festivities). The squint-eyed person, who was always
keeping close at the visitor's heels, asked him what fear-
ful tomak (guardian spirit) he had got at his service; and
he answered, " If I succeed, a large iceberg will presently
appear." They all entered the dark kagse^ and he also
observed the hairy woman, the sight of whom he did
not like, suspecting her to be dangerous to his purpose.
When the conjuring had begun, and he felt that his
tomak was drawing nigh, he said, " I fancy that some-
thing is approaching us." They looked out at the win-
dow, and whispered to each other, " A monstrous iceberg
is close upon the beach." The angakok said, "Let a
young man and a maiden step forth and post themselves
in the middle of the floor." When they had taken their
place, a tremendous nofee proceeded from the iceberg
bouncing ashore and suddenly calving. Then a married
couple was ordered out on the floor, and a loud roar
from without followed. Thus they were all called forth,
one after the other, and at last it was the turn of the ugly
woman to step out When she was about to advance,
.she missed her footing on one of the flags, and got be-
yond the proper stepping-stones, and at the same time
the iceberg turned over, and came tumbling over the
shore, crushing the house to atoms. Only the angakok
visitor and the man with the squint came out unhurt.
He now tied his limbs, rose high in the air, and returned,
accompanied by a swarm of croaking ravens. He was
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274 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
silent and dejected ; and when his father questioned
him as to the reason, he answered, *' I am heavy with
grief because I have practised my art badly: I did
wrong in calling forth the hairy woman ; and by this
fault of mine many happy and vigorous people, have
perished." Next day the squint-eyed person made his
appearance in the house, and observed, " Perhaps I too
may be allowed to exhibit my art i I too am an anga-
kok." To this the old angakok remarked, "My son
there is just telling me that he has killed many brave
and strong people by his want of experience." The
other answered, " So he did, the bad one." The
squint-eyed was now tied hand and foot, and began his
flight in the house, which was still lighted up, and as
soon as they began singing, he flew out of it Somehow
they suspected that he was likely to be dangerous to
them, and accordingly they extinguished the lamps, in
order to prevent his re-entering the place ; but on look-
ing out at the window, they saw him take a direction to-
wards his own homestead, and soon after proceeded to
light the lamps, concluding that, at any rate, he would
not return the same night.
(2.) Of an angakok called Ipisanguak, who was still
a novice in his art, this tale is told: On a certain
evening, when he was just ready to set out on a flight,
he said, " I intend to go away in search of the little
house my forefathers have often spoken of, outside of
which lies the bloody sword." Having spoken thus, he
set off, making a circuit all round the horizon, without
having anything particular to relate on his return ; but
the next time he flew straight across to Akilinek, and
alighted right in front of a house, where lay the bloody
sword which was to be taken by him. He went up to
the entrance, from whence a man emerged whose eyes
were all dim, like those of an unborn seal. He re-
entered the house without noticing the stranger, and
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another man now appeared whose eyes were like the
blackest berries, and this one asked him to step inside,
where the inmates of the house welcomed him, saying, .
" Thou art just in time to join us at our meal." After
a while the angakok observed, '*! want another to fill
my place at home to-night, otherwise my relatives will
not beheve that I have been here." The dim-eyed man
answered him, " I should very much like to be thy sub-
stitute, but I am rather a slow one." They now pro-
ceeded to have him tied. Presently he was lifted up
within the house, and then soared out into the open air,
while Ipisanguak enjoyed a happy night in the company
of his pleasant hosts. At dawn of day he broke off,
saying, " The night is done ; I must be off." Again he
crossed the sea ; and about midway he saw a glare as
of a great fire shining about him, which appeared to be
from his substitute, who likewise was on his way home,
and thus meeting, both aimed at each other. Ipisanguak
again visited Akilinek next evening, and at the same
time his substitute exclaimed, " I hear him coming ; be-
hold, there he is!" whereupon he also went off, and again
they encountered each other on the way, and smiled as
they met, and returned in the same way at daybreak.
On the following day, when Ipisanguak returned from a
trip in his kayak, he said he had met several kayakers
from an adjoining place, called Kagsimiut, and likewise
reported that he had heard them say of himself, " Ipis-
anguak has turned angakok, and almost every day ex-
changes place with an angakok from Akilinek. Let us
go and hear him." On the following day a great many
kayakers and several boats' crews arrived ; and when
he suffered himself to be tied, and left for Akilinek, he
was soon replaced by his comrade, who entered the
house, and entertained the guests all the night long.
Some time after this Ipisanguak paid a visit to Kagsi-
miut ; and during his stay one of the seal-hunters said :
" Seals are rather scanty with us at present : a clever
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276 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
hunter can hardly get one at a time; thou mightest
bring on the seals, I should think, and thus improve the
hunting." At the same time Ipisanguak observed a
handsome young woman, to whom he at once took a
fancy, standing outside the house. In the evening he
conjured spirits ; and during that interval an immense
iceberg appeared, fast approaching the beach. He now
let the women advance one by one ; but she to whom he
had taken a liking would not come. At length one ap-
peared with a fine new ribbon round her topknot, and at
that very moment the iceberg began to waver and shake;
the angakok immediately sank down beneath the floor,
and reached his own house by an underground way,
while the iceberg came rolling on, tumbling right across
the beach, crushing the house to atoms. On getting
home he had all the lamps lighted ; but in less than a
moment the angakok from Kagsimiut made his appear-
ance to avenge his people. However, they hit him with
stones, and drove him back, and his voice had become
inaudible. The following day Ipisanguak went to have
a look at the destroyed house, but not a trace was left
of it. The girl with the new topknot was possessed of
an anghiak (the ghost of an abortion, or a child bom in
concealment), and it was all owing to her that Ipisanguak
had been the cause of the accident that had happened
to her housemates.
(3.) A great angakok at his conjurations always used
to talk of his having been to Akilinek, and his auditors
fully believed him. Once he forced his little son to at-
tend his conjurations, sitting upon his knee. The boy,
who was horribly frightened, said, " Lo I what is it I see }
The stars are dropping down in the old grave on yonder
hill." The father said, " When the old grave is shining
to thee, it will enlighten thy understanding." When the
boy had been lying down in his lap for a while, he again-
burst out, " What is it I now see } — the bones in the old
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 277
grave are beginning to join together." The father only
repeating his last words, the son grew obstinate and
wanted to run away ; biit the father still kept hold of
him. Lastly, the ghost from the grave came out, and
being called upon by the angakok, he entered the house
to fetch the boy, who only perceived a strong smell of
niaggots, and then fainted away. On recovering his
senses, he found himself in Che grave quite naked, and
when he arose and looked about,, his nature was totally
altered — he found himself able at a sight to survey the
whole country away to the farthest north, and nothing
remained concealed from him. All the dwelling-places
of man appeared to be close together, side by side ; and
on looking at the sea, he saw his father's tracks, stretch-
ing across to Akilinek. When going down to the house,
he observed his clothes flying through the air, and had
only to put forth his hands and feet to make them cover
his body again. But on entering the house he looked
exceedingly pale, because of the great angakok wisdom
he had acquired down in the old grave. After having
become an angakok himself, he once went on a flight to
Akilinek, and entered a house where a number of men
were assembled, one of whom he observed to be dim-
eyed. By help of his angakok sense he discovered this
man also to be an angakok, and remarked some bone-
chips lying at his feet. These chips (probably super-
natural ones, and only visible to a clairvoyant) the dim-
eyed man had in vain tried to get rid of; because they
arose from some work he had taken in hand before the
appointed days of mourning for some person deceased
had gone by, thereby provoking the invisible rulers.
While staying here, the angakok visitor was requested
to make a conjuration, in order to procure a plentiful
seal-hunting. He summoned his tornak called a kivin-
gak (viz., an iceberg, steep on one side, but sloping down
on the other, all covered with seals). The iceberg quickly
approached with the latter side towards them, and bend-
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278 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ing over, was just about to cast off all the seals into the
water. But it so happened that among the housemates
who had stepped forth on the floor there was a woman
with an anghiak, which immediately made the iceberg
turn on its steep side ; and tumbling over with a trenien-
dous roar, it crushed the house and all the people within,
all of whom perished excepting the two angakut, who
took care to make their escape at the right moment.
46.
THE KAYAKERS IN CAPTIVITY WITH THE
MALIGNANT INGNERSUIT.
[The following abridged stories are only variations of the popular theme,
which appear to exhibit one of the principal dangers which could be
encountered and braved by renowned angakut. As to the Ingnersuit,
or gnomes of the sea-shore, in general, we refer to the Introduction.]
(I.) Ty^ UVITSINA left the boat and the crew who had
IV been his companions on their summer journey,
and whom he had followed down the firth, and in his lonely-
kayak went along the shore. As he approached a low-
steep rock, it opened of its own accord, and seeing this,
he entered. No sooner had he got inside than he was
surrounded by ingnersuit, who tore his kayak from him
and smashed it to pieces. They took him away into the
house, and put him down on the side-ledge, and their old
housewife first sharpened her knife, went up to him, and
cut off his nose, and tied him to one of the pillars.. In
this plight he at length bethought himself of his tomaks.
The first he called, however, were not at all noticed by
the ingnersuit, and had no effect upon them. It then
occurred to him to call forth two tomaks he had amongst
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 279
the benevolent ingnersuit Their approach was instantly
heard ; and one of them was named Nepingasuak, the
other Napatarak. The latter of the two, however, was
the first to hasten to the spot, crying loudly, " What
have ye been doing to Kuvitsina ? " He was in a ter-
rible passion, and at once severed the strings, and, fur-
ther, gave Kuvitsina an amulet, saying, " Make haste,
and be off! " and he had thus escaped even before Nep-
ingasuak arrived. On coming down to his ruined kayak,
Nepingasuak merely breathed upon it, which soon made
it all right ; and thus he again returned to his own world,
while Napatarak warned the ingnersuit, saying, "Ye
should never lay hand on the people who live on the
face of the earth : ye ought much more to hold them in
awe, because they can vanquish the beings we hold in
fear, such as whales, which they catch by means of the
bladder." Kuvitsina had another name, which was Aka-
mak. On his way home he met Nepingasuak, and at
the same time observed a strange noise overhead : this
was his nose, which came whirling along in the air, and
adjusted itself in its proper place — only it became a little
awry ; and thus Kuvitsina reached his home.
(2,) Katauk, a very skilful hunter, used to catch seals
by fastening the harpoon-line to his kayak without any
hunting-bladder. Once, however, he happened to be
capsized and drawn out of his kayak. Being on the
point of drowning, he gave himself up for lost, when all
of a sudden he was surprised at the sound of kayakers
approaching from the shore. He saw that they were
the ingnersuit, and of the malignant sort ; but still he
thought it better to be captured by them than drown.
He was carried off to their place, put down on the win-
dow-bench, and encouraged to talk. But seeing that he
remained quite mute, they first cut off his nose, and
then tied him up beneath the roof-beams. Being in the
greatest distress, he called his tornaks, three of whom
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280 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
instantly appeared and relieved him, after a hard struggle.
On going outside he found his erkungassok (the wise man
among the tomaks) prostrate and killed ; but quickly
made him revive again by breathing on him. When he
had pushed off in his kayak he heard a voice calling be-
hind him, and a whistling besides ; turning his face round,
he beheld his nose, which came flying through the air,
sent by his erkungassok ; it soon fitted itself into its due
place. In the evening, when he had gained his home,
he felt a pain around his waist and loins, and looking at
them, he perceived one of the thongs with which he had
been tied still attached. He cut it up in small bits,
which he gave to young people for amulets, for the
purpose of making them good kayakers.
(3.) Ulajok, while looking for seals outside the islands,
came to a rock, which was being washed by a heavy
swell. At the same time he observed a bright kayak
making great haste towards him ; but getting sig^ht of
Ulajok, the white kayak turned back and made for the
rock again. Ulajok, suspecting that he might be an
ingnersuak, wanted to turn his kayak homeward, but
tried it in vain. The prow of his kayak always kept
turning round, pointing anew at the rock, and insensibly
he was drawn behind the white kayak. When close to
the rock he saw it being lifted high up ; and within,
houses and people presented themselves. Ulajok was
pulled to the shore, where the people put by his kayak
and paddle, conducting him into a large house. (The
rest of the story is much like the preceding two.)
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 28 1
47.
THE ORPHAN BOY ILIARSORKIK.
IN a house which was occupied by a great number of
people lived a married couple with only one son ;
the parents, however, both died while he was quite a
baby. Another family adopted him; but on finding
that he gave them more trouble than they had expected,
they soon grew tired of him, and he became nothing
but a bore to them. Others took him up, but in a little
time neglected him ; and thus it befell that all the fami-
lies in a house came to take charge of him by turns.
His last foster-parents had him for rather a long time ;
but on a certain day when the man happened to return
home without any catch, and was cross and moody, he
addressed his wife, saying, " This boy is a mere good-
for-nothing; cast him out on the dunghill at once."
Meantime a widow, whose son had just commenced to
try his hand at seal-hunting, took him in. She brought
him up, and he did well, and was well provided for from
that time. One autumn the weather turned bad with
heavy gales ; and snowdrifts coming on earlier than
usual, there had hardly been a chance of any catch for
the inhabitants. Before the days had begun to lengthen
the sea was quite frozen over, and the bad weather still
continuing, the many hunters and providers about the
place entirely ceased to go out. All their provisions
had been spent, and the lamps were not lighted in the
evening. The only lamp still burning was that of the
widow, and the only person that made any attempt at
hunting was her adopted son Iliarsorkik. One of his
housemates, a man who did not possess any kayak, used
to take him by the hand every morning, and give him a
run uphill ; and by continuing this exercise he soon got
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282 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to be very swift and agile. Meanwhile the inmates of
the crowded house all remained in bed for hunger and
cold ; but every evening the widow went to her little store
and took out a handful of angmagsat (dried fish, capelins^
the chief winter provision), and bestowed a small share
upon each of them ; her own son got four, her adopted
son three, and the others half a one : all had a little
morsel of blubber besides. One morning at low tide
Iliarsorkik saw some small spots off the rocky shore free
of ice, and coming nearer he saw a great number of
little sandpipers there. He at length caught one, which
he brought to the house. His foster-mother was just
getting anxious about him when she heard him slide
down the outer passage ; and soon after entering the
room, holding up his bird, he exclaimed, " Look here,
what I have got!" The men who lay on the ledge
cried out, " Oh, he has actually got a sandpiper ! " and
they reproached each other for having driven him out,
saying that he might now have been able to provide for
them. The mother cut the little bird through at all its
joints, and gave every one their share, but still some
one went on crying for more. The next day Iliarsorkik
brought two, and every succeeding day one more ; and
the widow always divided them, and gave their house-
fellows something, each in turn. One day he again met
the man who used to give him a turn up the hills, who
pointed out to him a spot where the partridges were sit-
ting in the snow with their black beaks peeping forth,
and he went on directing him how to get at them. He
returned bringing one home the first day; but every
following day the number increased, and the widow
went on distributing what he had caught ; but the men
were constantly repeating, "What a pity we ever cast
him off from us 1" One day when he was away among
the mountains in search of partridges with his friend, he
observed a mist hanging above the waters, at one time
growing thicker, and shortly after dissolving ; and this
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 283
his companions hailed as a good sign, informing him
that it was a sure token of holes in the ice, kept open
by the sea animals that gathered there to-^breathe.
They now climbed a still higher mountain? to take a
more coia^ect survey, and make sure of tke place. In
the evening Iliarsorkik said to his brother, " To-morrow
I don't intend to hunt on shore ; I shall just take a
walk on the ice, and give a look round to find out the
breathing - holes." His foster - brother answered him :
" Yonder beneath the boat thou wilt find my hunting-
tools: I shall soon put thee right, and make them smaller
for thee ; but mind they are put deep down in the
snow." Iliarsorkik dug away for them, and having
found them brought them to his brother, who fitted
them for him. Early in the morning he was off; after
a while he fell in with the frost-haze. He followed the
direction of it, and soon arrived at the brim of the aper-
ture, where he saw the seals diving up and down, and
playing about in large crowds in the open water. Find-
ing it difficult to get a sure footing on the slippery edge,
he lost no time, but at once took aim and fixed his har-
poon into one of the smaller seals. Having hauled it
up upon the ice, he fastened it to his towing-line, and
made the best of his way home. When the starving
creatures heard him dragging a seal along through the
house-passage a great clamour and strife ensued. The
widow first cut very thin slices of blubber and skin to-
gether, and handed it to them. Some of them, however,
were not able to bide their time, but came creeping along
on the fioor, stretching out their lean hands ; but the
widow merely said, " Each of you will get a piece in his
or her turn." She likewise took a piece of flesh of the
size of a hand and boiled it, after having lit some lamps ;
but even this meal did not satisfy them ; several of them
cried out for more food, while others protested they had
got no food at all. In the night some of them even
came creeping across the floor to steal the raw flesh.
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284 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
but they were so faint that they were not able to get
back and climb the ledge for their couches. Iliarsorkik
broughiVa larger seal on the following day, and the
widow wa^ now able to light all the lamps, to warm up
the house ; L*ut she was still very careful in sharing out
the meals, and continued to give them very small ra-
tions. From this day forth Iliarsorkik every day brought
home seals. One time when he had got two very big
ones, and had already got half-way home with them, he
was suddenly caught in an easterly gale, with a snow-
storm blowing right in his face, so that he was not able
to see anything at all. He continued to walk straight
against the wind, but as it happened to haul round to
the south he, of course, took a wrong direction, and lost
his way. Towards evening, however, he concluded that
he must have gained the coast-side, by the loose blocks
of ice scattered about on all sides. Leaving his seals on
the beach, he stepped up on shore, and came across a
house. On entering it he saw that only the foremost
lamps were burning, and behind this a widow and a
young man were sitting, the latter with his chin buried
deep. in the fur collar of his jacket; but behind, in the
more remote corner of the house, the lamps were all ex-
tinguished. Iliarsorkik said, "I have not absolutely
come here on a visit, but I was not aware that the wind
had changed, and thus lost my way in the snow-drift"
The widow replied, " Then thou hadst better stay here
till to-morrow; and when the weather alters for the
better thou mayst return to thy home." Iliarsorkik
said, " If* ye have any fancy at all, ye are very welcome
to one of my seals." No sooner had he uttered these
words than a faint sound of wailing was heard from the
dark corners of the room. These people were likewise
starving, and he had just come in time to save them.
The weather being fine on the following day he reached
his home, and when he had told his mother how he had
solaced the hungry and starving, she ans^yered him,
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 28$
" Always act in that way, and the number of thy cap-
tured animals will always increase." Another time
when he was just making ready what he had caught to
carry it home, he suddenly heard a tremendous roar,
and at the same time the ice seemed to quake beneath
his feet. He looked round, and seeing nothing but ice-
bergs right and left, he thought it might have been one
of them calving (bursting and moving). When the
roaring sound was again heard, and had come much
nearer, he again turned round, and saw that what he had
taken for an iceberg was a great bear, all covered with
ice, and standing erect before him. When he saw the
beast preparing to attack him he ran on towards an ice-
berg at some distance, and kept on running about, al-
ways pursued by the bear. Each time he rounded it
he managed to hit a blow in the same spot on the ice-
berg, and in this manner he had soon made a cave, into
which he hastened to creep, while the animal still hur-
ried, and followed the scent of his footmarks. Whenever
the bear passed him he thrust at it with his tok (tool for
making holes in the ice) ; each time he thus hit it some of
the ice-cover dropped down from its back, and at length
some bleeding was visible ; snorting and roaring, it
circled round the iceberg, but at length stopped short
and fell down motionless. Iliarsorkik descended, and
found it to be dead. He cut out a piece of the flesh,
and made the best of his way home ; having arrived
safely, he gave notice at the dwelling-places in the
neighbourhood, that whoever chose might go and fetch
away some of the bear's flesh ; he himself went along to
the spot with his house-fellows, who had in the mean-
time fully recovered, to flense and cut it up, on the fol-
lowing day. Having gone on for some time he saw a
black spot on the ice, which soon appeared to be the
body of a dead man : further on they came across an-
other one; and so on all the way. These were the
corpses of people who had been on the point of starva-
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286 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
tion, and had expired in making their attempt to reach
the bear ; a few of them had succeeded in reaching it
and getting a bite of the flesh, but afterwards dropped
on their way home, worn out with hunger and fatigue.
48.
THE BROTHERS WHO WERE LOST ON
THEIR JOURNEY UP THE FIORD.
SEVERAL men were living together in the mouth
of a fiord. Each of them used to go out kayaking
by himself ; but it so happened that all those who went
up the fiord entirely disappeared one after another. Two
brothers, both strong and able men, were still left, and
of these, the eldest first went out in search of the lost
ones. He kept close along shore ; but having arrived
at a certain spot, he could not master the strong tide,
but was carried along by it to a place where two old
people were standing, who (by magic) drew him to their
shore. When he got upon land he saw numbers of
people, who were all sons of the old couple ; they seized
his kayak, smashed it asunder, and put the pieces of it
on th€ top of the turned-up boat He was then asked
to enter the house, and a dish of berries was put before
him ; but perceiving part of a human hand sticking up
among them, he left it untouched. The people he had
thus encountered were the murderers of his lost friends.
At nightfall they entered to attack him also ; and with
this view they as usual took out a sealskin and spread
it on the floor, for a trying-match at hook and crook.
Seeing, however, that nobody was able to conquer him
in this way, they dared not downright kill him. His
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kayak being destroyed, he was deprived of all means of
returning. His brother in vain awaited his arrival, and
therefore at length resolved to follow him. He took the
very same course, and had the same fate, being likewise
drawn towards the shore by the two old people. But
before the young men could seize hold of his kayak, his
own brother, who all the while had feigned to know
nought of him, caught it up and placed it in safety on
the top of the boat. At night he said to the men of the
place that they might as weU go to sleep, and that he
would take charge of the stranger ; but at midnight he
suffered him to escape ; and not till he believed he had
gained a safe distance did he awake the people of the
house and make known to them what had happened.
The boat was quickly got down and put out in pursuit
of him. The brother, who was given charge of the
steering-oar, feigned to be pulling exceedingly hard,
and in so doing, purposely broke every oar he got in
hand in order to delay the pursuit. Meanwhile the
fugitive escaped them, and on reaching home went off
in search of helpmates to the north as well as to the
south. In the ensuing winter they started in great
numbers to take revenge on the fiord people. When
the latter had been apprised of their approach, the elder
brother, who was still staying with them, said he would
rescue them, and they had better go and hide them-
selves in a cave close by ; but no sooner had the assail-
ants arrived, than the brother hastened to point, out
their hiding-place, and they commenced the attack,
pouring their arrows into the cave, killing all but one,
for whom there was not an arrow left. Presently, how-
ever, a bird came flying out of the cave ; but one of
them quickly got an arrow from an orphan boy, who
had just been -^practising bow-shooting, and hit the bird
with it ; and when they came to look more closely at it,
the bird turned out to have been one of the men. They
cut him to pieces, and at once took out his entrails. ^
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288 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Part of them were sunk in the depths of the ocean, and
the rest brought to a place on which the sun never
shone.
Note. — This tale is taken from two copies. Besides these there are
two much resembling it. In the first, all the men having disappeared,
only an old bachelor is left with the women, who persuade him to go in
search of the lost men. On returning after having revenged them, the
women, for sheer joy, suffocated him by their caresses. In the other, the
inhabitants of two different islands were living in friendly relations to each
other until an ill-natured sorcerer at one of those places took it into his
head to kill the visitors successively arriving from the other island. His
mode of attacking people was to fly at them like a bird from the top of
a mountain, striking off their heads at one blow. A! length, however, he
was killed by the arrow of a boy who had been trained for the purpose.
49.
THE SOLITARY KAYAKER.
THERE was once a kayaker who had only one
certain hunting-place to which he always re-
sorted, and whither he was never accompanied by any
one else. He was well skilled in his craft, and generally
brought home a great quantity of seals. Not far off", to
the north of his habitation, lived a number of other
people in a large house with three windows. One day
he had started as usual for his solitary hunting-ground ;
but for the first time found it preoccupied by another
hunter. On coming closer to him, he recognised in
him one of his northern neighbours. This man spoke
to him and was so talkative that the other found it
rather difficult to mind his work. At home he reported,
" To-day I at length had a fellow joining me at my
hunting-place ; he turned out to be one of our neigh-
bours : but to-morrow I intend to be off earlier and try
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 289
to forestall him." Accordingly he started sooner than
was his wont, but on reaching the place, he found that
the other man had already arrived, and was even more
loquacious than on the first day. It was almost day-
break before they had begun their work. When they
had both caught their seals they returned. But the first
kayaker on coming home, remarked, " It seems almost
impossible to be beforehand with this man ; however, I
will try it once more." He started early the following
morning, while it was still pitch-dark ; but the other one
was on the spot He rowed close up to him, hoping to
find him in his usual polite mood, but to-day he did not
speak at all ; not until daybreak did he utter a single
word, and then went away. The next day it was the
same thing over again, he never spoke till sunrise ; then
he remarked, "To-day she remained in bed altogether;
the day before yesterday she fell sick, and all the while
she is growing worse and worse." It is to be understood
that he was speaking of his wife, and this was the reason
why he had thus changed. He now added, "If thou
dost not meet me here to-morrow, thou mayst judge
that she is still worse, and then pray look in upon us
to-morrow and see how we are doing." Then the other
made some further inquiry, and went home with his
catch, relating his adventure to his family. He did not
meet his new comrade the next day, and therefore called
on him the day after. Entering the house, he found all
the men within ; not one of them was out kayaking
that day. He entered the room and there remarked
a man sitting far back upon the ledge and staring
straight before him, and he soon recognised him to be
his former companion. His wife had died and he had
already buried her. Observing the general silence, he
rose and moved alongside the widower, saying — " I
have come to give thee some solace ; thou wilt be sure
to stand in need of some one to talk to thee at such an
unhappy time : and if thou wouldst like it, I will be-
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290 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
think me of something to tell thee." But at this the
widower uttered some unintelligible words, at the same
time looking very fierce and angry. Suddenly he ad-
vanced and took hold of the visitor by the throat and
threw him down into the doorway. Taking it all for
a jest, he quickly got up and re-entered the room ; but
he was again seized and thrust right against the door-
posts and broke his spine, which immediately caused
his death. The murderer again with downcast eyes
seated himself on the ledge. Meanwhile a youth, the
son of a widow, coolly proceeded to whet his knife ; and
when he had got it well sharpened, he sprang up behind
the widower and made a long cut on each side of his
back ; the blood rushed out, and in a few minutes he
fell down dead. At this sight they all got infuriated
and took to their knives, and a terrible slaughter en-
sued ; the widow and her son, with an adopted daughter,
were the only ones that remained unhurt ; and having
made their escape through the window, they went to
take up their abode in the storehouse. But subse-
quently the winter became very severe, and the frost
fearfully keen, so that the widow's son at last had to
give up hunting, and remain indoors. They had almost
finished their stock of provisions, only a few angmagsat
(small dried fish) and a small bag with blubber were
still left ; and accordingly they could not afford to eat
their fill every day. Not till supper-time did the widow
venture to share out their portions. The son then
got two and a half fish, while she herself and her
stepdaughter had one and a half. Owing to this sen-
sible management, they kept alive, though badly
enough, and did not altogether starve with hunger, be-
cause they always got a morsel of blubber besides.
For three succeeding days they went on like this, but
on the fourth, the young man disappeared. However,
he had only gone out to take a look round from some
of the neighbouring heights. In the evening he put his
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. • 29I
weapons and tools to rights, and on the very next day
he returned home, dragging an immense white whale
with him. The women were transported with joy, and
at once began to flense and cut it up ; but presently the
daughter complained of her feet being so dreadfully
cold. This was because the blood of the fish had got
into her boots and filled them. Her mother, however,
pretended not to heed her, and told her to go on helping
her. A little afterwards the girl said that she saw all
the mountains double, and then she was ordered to go
inside ; but the moment she bent down to descend
through the entrance, she broke in twain, and was dead
on the spot. In the evening the son wrought a spell
upon the body of the deceased, and not till then was her
mother aware of his being an angakok. They extin-
guished the lamps and he called forth the spirits, and
restored her to life and health. They all remained
living together at this place, and he afterwards married
his adopted sister. At length they died there without
removing to any other place, and without any accidents
ever happening to them.
50.
KASIAGSAK, THE GREAT LIAR.
KASIAGSAK, who was living with a great many
skilful seal-hunters, always returned in the even-
ing without a catch of his own. When he was out, his
wife, named Kitlagsuak, was always restless and fidgety,
running out and in looking out for him, in the hope that
he might be bringing home something ; but he generally
returned empty-handed. One day, being out in his
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292 ^ TALES AND TRADITIONS.
kayak, he observed a black spot on a piece of ice, and
it soon turned to be a little seal. His first intention was
to harpoon it, but he changed his mind, and broke out,
saying, " Poor little thing 1 it is almost a pity. Perhaps
it has already been wounded by somebody else ; per-
haps it will slide down in the water when I approach it,
and then I need only take hold of it with my hands."
So saying he gave a shout, at which the seal was not
slow to get down. Presently it appeared close before
the point of his kayak ; but he called out still louder
than before, and the seal went on diving up and down
quite close to him. At length he made up his mind to
chase and harpoon it ; but somehow it always rose at
a greater distance, and was soon entirely lost to him.
Kasiagsak now put back, merely observing, " Ye silly
thing ! ye are not easy to get at ; but just wait till next
time.'*
Another day he went seaward in bright, fine weather.
Looking towards land he got sight of the other kay-
akers, and observed that one of them had just harpooned
a seal, and that the others were all hurrying on to his
assistance. As to himself, he never stirred, but remained
quite unconcerned in his former place. He also noticed
that the one who had caught the seal tugged it to the
shore, and made it fast to a rock on the beach, intend-
ing to return in pursuit of others. He instantly put
further out to sea ; but when he had got quite out of
sight he returned to the beach by a roundabout way,
and made straight for the other man's seal, and carried
it off. The towing-line was all around ornamented with
walrus-teeth, and he was greatly delighted at the pros-
pect of getting home with this prize. Meanwhile his
wife had been wandering about in expectation of him,
and looking out for the returning kayakers. She at
length cried out, " There is a kayak ! " — at which more
people came running out ; and shading her eyes with
her hand, she continued, " It looks like Kasiagsak, and
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 293
he moves his arms like one tugging something along
-with him. Well, I suppose it will now be my turn to
give you a share, and ye shall all get a nice piece of
blubber." As soon as he landed she hastened to ask
him, "Where didst thou get that beautiful tugging-
line?" He answered, " This morning at setting out I
thought it might come in handy, as I was bent on hav-
ing a catch, and so I brought it out with me ; I have
kept it in store this long time." " Hast thou, indeed ? "
she rejoined, and then began the flensing and carving
business. She put the head, the back, and the skin
aside ; all the rest, as well as the blubber, she intended
to make a grand feast upon. The other kayakers suc-
cessively returned, and she took care to inform each of
them separately that a seal was already brought home ;
and when some of the women came back from a ramble
on the beach, she repeated the whole thing over to them.
But while they were sitting down to supper in the even-
ing, a boy entered, saying, " I have been sent to ask
for the towing-line ; as to the seal, that is no matter."
Turning to Kasiagsak, his wife now put in, " Didst thou
tell me an untruth ? " He only answered, *' To be sure
I did ; " whereto his wife remarked, "What a shame it
is that Kasiagsak behaves thus ! " but he only made a
wry face, saying, " Bah ! " which made her quite fright-
ened; and when they lay down to rest he went on
pinching her and whistling until they both fell asleep.
Another day, rowing about in his kayak, he happened
to observe a black spot away on a flake of ice. On
nearing it he made it out to be only a stone. He
glanced round towards the other kayakers, and then
suddenly feigned to be rowing hard up to a seal, at the
same time lifting the harpoon ready to lance it ; but
presently went to hide himself behind a projecting point
of the ice, from which he managed to climb it and roll
the stone into the sea with a splash, making it all froth
and foam. Meanwhile he got into his kayak again.
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294 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
making a great roar in order to call the others to his
assistance. When they came up to him they observed
that he had no bladder, and he said, " A walrus has
just gone down with my bladder ; do help me to catch
sight of him ; meantime I will turn back and tell that I
have lanced a walrus." He hurried landwards, and his
wife, who happened to be on the look-out, again shouted,
" A kayaker ! " He called out that he had made a lucky
hit *' I almost do believe it is Kasiagsak ; do ye hear
him in there ? " Meantime he had approached the shore,
and said, '* In chasing a walrus I lost my bladder ; I
only came home to tell you this." His wife now came
running into the house, but being in such a hurry she
broke the handle- of her knife. However, she did not
mind this, but merely said, " Now I can get a handle
of walrus-tooth for my knife, and a new hook for my
kettle." In the evening Kasiagsak had chosen a seat
on the hindermost part of the ledge, so that only his
heels were to be seen. The other kayakers stayed out
rather long ; but the last of them on entering brought a
harpoon-line and a bladder along with him, and turning
to Kasiagsak observed, "I think it is thine; it must
have been tied round some stone and have slipped
off; here it is." His wife exclaimed, " Hast thou been
telling us new lies } " at which he only answered her,
" Why, yes ; I wanted to play you a trick, you see."
Another day, when he was kayaking along the coast,
he remarked some loose pieces of ice away on a sandy
beach at some distance ; he rowed up to them and went
ashore. Two women, gathering berries, watched his
doings all along. They saw him fill his kayak with
bits of broken ice ; and this done, he waded down into
the water till it reached his very neck, and then turned
back and got upon the beach, where he set to hammer-
ing his kayak all over with stones ; and having finally
stuffed his coat with ice, he turned towards home. At
some distance he commenced shrieking aloud and cry-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 295
ing, "Ah me ! a big iceberg went calving (bursting and
capsizing) right across my kayak, and came down on the
top of me ; " and his wife repeated his ejaculations,
adding, " I must go and see about some dry clothes for
him." At last they got him up on shore, and large bits
of ice came tumbling out of his clothes, while he went
on lamenting and groaning as if with pain, saying, " I
had a very narrow escape." His wife repeated the
tale of his misfortunes to every kayaker on his return
home ; but at last it so happened that the two women
who had seen him likewise returned, aad they at once
exclaimed,' " Is not that he whom we saw down below
the sand-cliffs, stuffing his clothes with ice." On this,
the wife cried out, " Dear me ! has Kasiagsak again
been lying to us?" Subsequently Kasiagsak went to
pay a visit to his father-in-law. On entering the house
he exclaimed, " Why, what's the matter with you that •
your lamps are not burning, and ye are boiling dog's
flesh ? " " Alas 1 " answered the master, pointing to his
little son, " he was hungry, poor fellow ! and having
nothing else to eat we killed the dog." Kasiagsak
boastingly answered him, " Yesterday we had a hard
job at home. One of the women and I had our hands
full with the great heaps of seals and walruses that have
been caught. I have got both my storehouses choke-
full with them ; my arms are quite sore with the work."
The father-in-law now rejoined, "Who would ever
have thought that the poor little orphan boy Kasiagsak
should turn out such a rich man I " and so saying, he
began crying with emotion ; and Kasiagsak feigned
crying likewise. On parting from them the following
day, he proposed that his little brother-in-law should
accompany him in order to bring back some victuals,
adding, " I will see thee home again ; " and his father
said, " Well, dostn't thou hear what thy brother-in-law
is saying ? thou hadst better go." On reaching home,
Kasiagsak took hold of a string and brought it into the
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296 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
house, where he busied himself in making a trap, and
taking some scraps of frizzled blubber from his wife's
lamp, he thrust them out as baits for the ravens. Sud*
denly he gave a pull at the string, crying out, " Two ! —
alas ! one made its escape ; " and then he ran out and
brought back a raven, which his wife skinned and boiled.
But his brother-in-law had to look to the other people
for some food ; and at his departure the next day, he
likewise received all his presents from them, and not
from Kasiagsak.
Another day he set off in his kayak to visit some
people at a neighbouring station. Having entered one
of the houses, he soon noticed that some of the inmates
were mourning the loss of some one deceased. He
questioned the others, and on hearing that they had
lost a little daughter named Nepisanguak, he hastened
in a loud voice to state, " We have just got a little
daughter at home, whom we have called Nepisanguak ; "
on which the mourning parents and relations exclaimed,
" Thanks be to thee that ye have called her by that
name ; " and then they wept, and Kasiagsak also made
believe to be weeping; but he peeped through his
fingers all the while. Later in the day they treated
him richly with plenty of good things to eat. Kasiag-
sak went on saying, ** Our little daughter cannot speak
plainly as yet ; she only cries ' apangaja ! ' " but the
others said, " She surely means ' sapangaja * " (sapangst,
beads) ; " we will give thee some for her ; " and at his
departure he was loaded with gifts — such as be^ds, a
plate, and some seal-paws. Just as he was goiag to
start, one of the men cried out to him, " I would fain
buy a kayak, and I can pay it back with a good pot ;
make it known to the people in thy place." But Kasi-
agsak said, " Give it to me ; I have got a new kayak,
but it is a little too narrow for my size." At length he
started along with his presents, and the pot stuck upon
the front part of his kayak. At home he said, " Such a
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 297
dreadful accident ! a boat must surely have been lost ;
all these things I bring you here, I have found tossed
about on the ice ;" and his wife hastened into the house
to give her cracked old pot a smash, and threw away the
shoulder-blades that till now had served her instead of
plates, and ornamented her coat with beads, and proudly
walked to and fro to make the pearls rattle. The next
day a great many kayakers were announced. Kasiag-
sak instantly kept as far back on the ledge as possible.
As soon as the kayakers put in to shore, they called out,
*' Tell Kasiagsak to come down and fetch off some
victuals we have brought for their little daughter ; " but
all the reply was, " Why, they have got no daughter at
all." Another of the men now put in, " Go and ask
Kasiagsak for the new kayak I bought of him ; " but
the answer was, " He certainly has no new kayak.'* At
this information they quickly got up to the house, which
they entered, taking their several gifts back, and last of
all cutting the flaps ornamented with beads away from
the wife's jacket. When the strangers were gone she
said as before, " Kasiagsak has indeed been telling a lie
again." His last invention was this : he one day found
a small bit of whale-skin floating on the top of the
water, and bringing it home he said, " I have found the
carcass of a whale ; follow me and I will show you it : "
and the boat was got out, and they started. After a
good while they asked him, " Whereabout is it ? *' but
he merely answered them, " Away yonder ; " and then
a little bit further, " we shall soon get at it." But when
they had gone a long way from home without seeing
anything like a floating whale, they got tired of Kasiag-
sak, and put a stop to all his fibs by killing him then
and there.
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298 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
61.
THE REVIVED WHO CAME TO THE
UNDER-WORLD PEOPLE.
A HUSBAND and a wife, with an only son, were
living together with an old married couple, who
had got no children at all On a certain day, while to-
gether on the fishing-place, the former lost their son,
and left the place before the five subsequent mourning
days were over, leaving the old childless people be-
hind. Not knowing any way to get food without assist-
ance, the man said to his wife, " Let us go up to the
tomb." Having arrived there, he went on, " Thou being
a woman, must open the grave ; " but she told him
that he, being the man, ought to do so. However, she
proceeded to take away the top-stone, after which the
man set himself to open the grave. When they had got
the corpse taken out, and had done chanting over it, it
began to move, and after a while it rose up, and began
running straight against the man. The woman now said
to her husband, " Stand steady ; " but the very same
moment he was overturned, and in the next she was
herself thrown over ; and lastly the youth also fell down.
The old man first rose, and going up to him said, " Now,
dear, come along and stay with us ; " and the revived
youth went home with them, got a kayak, and became
their provider. Once his real father came back to see
what had become of the old people, who he almost ex-
pected had starved for want of food. Coming round the
point, and seeing blood upon the stones on the beach,
he thought, *' They must have been to the grave and
taken away the corpse ; " but coming closer, he observed
marks of seal-flensing besides, and therefore inquired,
" Whoever might have caught these for you } " They
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made answer, " Thy own son, whom we have restored
to life again ; " but he at once prepared to kill them,
because he doubted the truth of this assertion, and be-
lieved they were mocking him. The old man now said,
" Just wait a little ; and if he then does not come, it is
time enough to kill us ! " Before he hsyd finished speak-
ing, the son appeared from behind the point. They
both cried out, " Don't touch him at once ! " but the
father could not forbear so doing, and •consequently he
again fell down dead on the spot The old people again
sang some magic lay over him, and by this means re-
stored him to life. Once more he moved, rose up, and
ran right up to his father, whom he threw down, and
likewise his foster-mother, but then stopped. His father
would fain have taken him home to his true mother, but
the son answered him, " No, no ! ye left me before the
five mourning days were over, and therefore I will re-
main with those who have revived me ; " and the father
started off by himself. One day the youth returned in
his kayak, but in a strangely silent mood, whereat his
father said, " Why doestn't thou speak, dear ? " to which
the son answered that he had gone and taken an ing-
nersuak'Woman for a wife. The old people were sorry
that he should have to leave them, and asked him if
they might not accompany him ; and one day, on
meeting an ingnersuak, he inquired of him whether he
could bring them with him. He answered that they
might come, but at the same time told him to warn
them not to look back when they approached the rock
which enclosed the abode of the ingnersuity lest the
entrance should remain shut for them. He told them
this, and impressed on them all the way to keep their
eyes fixed on the point of his kayak. They then in-
stantly loaded the boat, and made ready to depart.
When they had reached the cliff, and were rowing up to
it, it forthwith opened ; and inside was seen a beautiful
country, with many houses, and a beach covered with , -
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300 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
pebbles, and large heaps of flesh and matak (edible
skin). Perceiving this, the old people for joy forgot the
warning and turned round, and instantly all disappeared :
the prow of the boat knocked right against the steep
rock, and was smashed in, so that they all were thrown
down by the shock. The son said, " Now we must re-
main apart for ever ; but build your house on yonder
cliff: they will no doubt provide you with food." They
built their house on the cliff, and every day they got
their meals without trouble from the ingnersuit.
52.
THE OLD BACHELOR.
THERE was once a queer old bachelor who had a
singular dislike to singing: whenever he heard
people sing, he would take himself off immediately.
One day, being out at his hunting-place off the coast,
he heard people singing, and it proved to proceed from
the crew of a boat which was going up the firth right
against the wind, and without being rowed. This song
pleased him; and he went up to the boat, which he
several times noticed to be lifted up into the air, soon
to sink down again on the surface of the water, and con-
stantly advancing, although the crew seemed resting on
their oars all the while. He now asked leave to be one
of the party ; and the steersman said he might follow
them if he chose, but that he must keep close to them ;
upon which they tied his kayak to the boat, and then
continued singing, Kangatarsa* JLang&tarsartiffatI (let us
be taken aloft I) imasaja* ah, ha, ha. They were in-
stantly lifted up and taken away across the country.
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Being now on the top of a very high mountain, they
took a little rest there, but soon after travelled on
through the air until they alighted close beside a house.
They discharged the boat; and the old bachelor also
got out of his kayak on land, and he entered a house to
pay them a visit. He came to like them, remained with
them, and learned their magic song. But at length
he bethought himself of his relatives, who were sure to
be missing him, and be concerned about his fate, and
he resolved to return. His hosts proceeded to fill his
kayak with victuals, after which he got in : and singing
the magic lay, he flew away in the same direction he
had formerly come from ; but when he reached the high
mountain, he got a strong fancy to repose for a while on
the summit of it, which happened to be a very steep
peak. After a while he wanted to be off again, but
found that he had suddenly forgotten the lay, and then
he sat down all at a loss on the steep mountain-side.
At last he lost his balance, and was about to fall down.
He tried to catch hold of the proper words, and sang,
*^ * immakaja r — no; not quite that; ^kanajaja!' — no,
that's not it neither;" and now he began crying and
tumbling down the precipice. When he was quite close
to the stone-heaps at the foot of the mountain, he re-
membered the song, and was again carried through the
air, and thus saved from destruction. At last he saw his
dwelling-place, where his house-fellows had quite given
him up for lost. They were just asswnbled outside,
when all at once they heard a song from above, and
looking upwards, perceived a kayaker overhead rushing
through the air, and before long they recognised their
own old bachelor. He directed his course staight to-
wards the entrance, never stopping until he sat right
down on the ledge, his kayak's point crushing against
the wall of the room ; and this was his first and last
journey through the air.
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53.
SALIK THE KIVIGTOK.
SALIK went off to the north; and during his journey
the frost set in, and cut off his passage home, and
he established himself for the winter at a very solitary
place. The following spring he drew still farther north.
After some hours travelling, he remembered that they
had left their axe fixed in one of the cross-beams of
their deserted house. He at once returned and entered
the dark house through the open window. Just as he was
going to take hold of the axe, he heard something moving
about beside the ledge, down on the floor, and on looking
more closely, he caught sight of a man. The stranger
began to whistle aloud ; but soon after he spoke thus :
" Though I am always aware of what is going to happen,
thou hast for once chanced to take me by surprise. This
is the way in which I manage : being very quick, it is my
wont to go about from one place to another, picking up
odd scraps and leavings after people move away to other
parts." Having delivered himself of this speech, he
added, " I think it is the custom when meeting a man
for the first time to ask him his name." The former
rejoined, " My name is Salik ; " and the stranger said,
"Why, so is mine; and since thou hast, to a certain
degree, outdone me, who have never before been taken
aback, I shall relate the history of my life to thee : In
former times, when we were still children, we used to
leave the house every morning with our father; and
while he was away we used to spend the day joyfully,
practising bow-shooting and making ourselves expert at
flinging stones, and never thought of entering the house
till he returned. Then he would say to our mother,
'Have not they had anything to eat as yet?' Upon
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which she used to put a large plate with meat before us.
This was always our first meal each day, and we swal-
lowed it greedily. But we were ten children, and there-
fore the plate had to be filled thrice before we were quite
satisfied. One evening, when our father had come back
and gone into the house, we also went inside as usual,
but on entering found the manners of our parents altered.
Though it was after twilight, the lamps were not lighted,
but lay tumbled down on the floor, bottom up. At this
sight we seated ourselves silently on the main-ledge.
After a while my father turned round and said to our
mother, 'These will probably be hungry: I am not
going to do like my mother's brothers, who fled from
mankind because he had been scolded by his wife.'
Our mother at first remained silent, but then bestirred
herself, and in her turn replied, * If he had any sense at
all, he would not speak in that way.* She now put the
usual dish before us. Our father partook of the meal
with us ; and then they began to talk to each other a^
if nothing had passed : my brothers and sisters were also
soon quite at their ease, but I was not able to forget my
mother's harsh words, though they had not been addressed
to me. I could only take one little morsel ; and when
the dish was filled the second time, I had not yet swal-
lowed that. Winter passed by, and I still wondered
over my mother's speech. In spring father took us all
away to the firth for angmagsat-fishxvig ; and all were
happy, and helped mother in drawing the fishes up on
the beach. She used to say, ' Now we had better stop :
we might be getting too many, and have a difficulty in
carrying them away before the tide sets in ; ' and then
we helped her in spreading them out to dry. When
father brought his catch in the evening, we likewise
assisted her in cutting the flesh into strips for drying.
About that time the mountain-brooks burst through
their ice-coverings, and father taught us to build a dyke •
at the outlet of the brooks, in order to stop and catch
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the salmon. At full tide he used to catch them in his
kayak, and we from land by throwing stones at them ;
and when the tide was out we could easily take the fish
that were stopped behind the dykes with our spears.
We had all work enough in helping to carry them up to
our mother and assisting her in cutting them up for dry-
ing. My brothers enjoyed that busy time ; but I had
not yet learned to forget those words of my mother's,
and my spirits grew more and more depressed. One
day a great many salmon had been caught behind the
dam we had made for them ; but as father had left, and
we had to lance them and bring them up to mother, I
asked my brothers to do my part of the business. How-
ever, they all agreed that I was to do it myself ; but on
seeing my youngest brother drawing his fish on a cord,
I turned to him saying, * I think I see a partridge yonder:
pray take my lot of salmons along with thee while I pur-
sue the bird.' He willingly obeyed me, and I darted off;
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and running straight on for the interior, I never stopped
my flight till nightfall. I lay down to sleep as best I
might. All the summj^r-time I roamed about snaring
partridges, and in the autumn I set to build myself a
suitable house for the winter : the birds, however, were
now getting scarcer. One morning there was a ter-
rible snow-fall, on account of which I stayed at home.
Now and then I looked out of the window, and once saw
something brown moving about in the snow. As the
storm was going down, and the sky clearing a little, I
recognised a large male reindeer seeking for food be-
neath the snow. I was dreadfully hungry at the time ;
and, although it was very unwise, I could not suppress
a loud cry on seeing it. The knife I have got here" —
showing a stump of a knife hardly a finger's-length —
•'was then considerably longer: I took hold of it, and
crept up to the animal very cautiously, not to frighten
it. When the snow fell thicker I took to running ; but
when it cleared off a little, I lay down flat on the ground
to hide. Once I entirely lost sight of it concealed in a
cloud of snow, when all of a sudden I rushed at it, thrust-
ing my knife several times into its flanks. It ran on,
nevertheless, but I followed up its bloody tracks, and
soon managed to get it killed. I brought it quickly to
my house, and found it to be a fat buck ; and thus I was
provided sufficiently for the winter. Next summer I tra-
velled to a place abounding in those animals, and I soon
became well skilled in hunting them. But I was con-
stantly getting very low-spirited : I did not much care
for that sort of thing, but went in search of more daring
excitement However, I only happened to meet with
some poor old kivigtut (plural of KivigtoK). I had got
to be very nimble-footed, and could run a race with any
animal that ever was. Once I ascended the highlands,
and got to the verge of the large glacier; and from
thence I climbed my way on to an ice-bound land. My
boots having got poor and soaked through, I proceeded
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306 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to take out the skin-stockings in order to have them
dried in the sun. Meantime, surveying the immense
plain stretching out before me, at some distance I per-
ceived a tiny black spot ; moving on, I took it to be a
raven, but presently it grew to be more like a fox, and
this set me wondering in what manner a fox could pos-
sibly have got on to the glacier. When I again examined
it, it had become the size of a reindeer ; then it appeared
like an amarok, or something like that. As I had all the
time been in search of something appalling enough to
rouse my dejected spirits, I resolved to front and attack
the animal: on its approach, however, I found myself
turning somewhat irresolute. As I stood mending my
boots, I saw the beast bending down, and the ice flying
about it on every side. Inwardly I wished it would keep
to windward that it might not get the scent of me. I
hastened to get on my boots, and fastened all my clothes
about me to keep out the wind. Meantime the beast
stood sniffing the ground ; but all at once it bounded
right towards me, and seeing this, I took to my heels,
trying to gain the ice, where it was less smooth and
slippery. The animal followed close at my heels, and I
was thinking that all my diversion would likely end in
being devoured by st monster. I now reached some
large clefts in the ice, but soon noticed that, when I
was obliged to leap, the monster merely took a long
stride over, and I therefore looked out for a very wide
crevice, thinking it would be quite as well for me to fall
down the precipice as to be swallowed up by the beast.
I barely managed to cross it: and no sooner had I gained
the other side than I heard a fearful yell, and turning
round, beheld the monster hanging perched on the edge
of the icy rocks, unable to get up again. I sprang to-
wards it ; but before I had time to kill it, it was tumbling
down the precipice — and thus I lost my prize. At the
beginning of every winter I filled two storehouses with
victuals, remembering the terrible want of the first win-
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ter. One evening, seated at my work in the house, I
suddenly heard somebody passing through the entry,
and two little women presently appeared before me :
both were light-haired, and had a cleft in their upper
lips. They each carried a bag with berries ; and when
they had sat down, no room was left in my little house.
I treated them civilly, however, because they were my
very first visitors. Both now poured out their berries, and
begged me to eat with them ; and I in my turn brought
in grease and meat: but of this they would take nothing.
I partook of the meal with them, and was much amused
at their lively talking all the evening through. One of
them jestingly said, * When people don't keep an eye
upon their stores, the wicked little foxes will come and
carry them off; and then, when they happen to take
them by surprise, they will run away, the tails turned
right out ; * and they went on laughing till they were
quite out of breath. I joined their merry laughter, and
felt very happy indeed. At length, however, they left
me, taking their bags with them ; and I now perceived
for the first time that my guests had been hares dis-
guised in the shape of women. Another evening, when
I again sat working, two other little women entered the
house ; but these had a darker complexion and larger
tufts of hair : they were still more amiable than the for-
mer ones, and likewise poured out their berries before
me, and I brought forth tallow and dried meat as before.
They ate of this with great pleasure ; and having done,
they said, ' These silly little hares, whenever they hap-
pen to meet folks, they sit down staring at them — they
look so very funny with their cloven lips ; and when
they take to run, and people only say itek, they sit down
on the spot.' In such wise we chattered away, and spent
the evening very pleasantly together. Now I have got
practised in running, and skip about from place to
place whenever I know that people have newly left.
Accordingly I came here. Thou alone hast taken me
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by surprise; otherwise I seem to hear everything. When
the partridges sit down yonder behind the high moun-
tain-ridges, I shall be sure to hear them as if they were
quite close by : but thy steps I have not heard." From
the upper part of his boot the first Salik produced a
knife, and handed it to the narrator with these words,
*' I have got nothing else wherewith to pay thee back
the pleasure thou hast given me." When both were
leaving, the story-teller said, " I feel a little indisposed
immediately after the meal, but just follow me with a
look;" and off he ran. Beyond the house was a high
sloping hill : this he went up as swiftly as a flying raven
that soars smoothly along, barely touching the earth,
and thus he went quickly out of sight. But Salik often
repeated the interesting tale of his namesake.
54.
STORIES ABOUT THE ANCIENT
KAVDLUNAIT.
[The four following tales are given in one section on account of thdr more
local character, being known only to the west Greenlanders, especially
the southernmost of them, and representing the only trace of intelli-
gence left concerning the ancient Scandinavian settlers which the
author has been able to discover by inquiries made in the country.]
(I.) UNGORTOK, THE CHIEF OF KAKORTOK.
IT once happened that a kayaker from Arpatsivik
came rowing up the firth, trying his new bird-
javelin as he went along. On approaching Kakortok,
where the first Kavdlunait^ had taken up their
^ Plur. of jatTdlnnUc, a foreigner, a European, a Dane.
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310 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
abode, he saw one of them gathering shells on the
beach, and presently he called out to him, " Let us see
whether thou canst hit me with thy lance." The
kayaker would not comply, although the other con-
tinued asking him. At last, however, the master of the
place, named Ungortok, made his appearance, and said,
" Since he seems so very anxious about it, take good
aim at him ; " and soon the kayaker sent out his spear
in good earnest, and killed him on the spot. Ungortok,
however, did not reproach him, but only said, "It
certainly is no fault of thine, since thou hast only done
as thou wast bidden." When winter came, it was a
general belief that the Kavdlunait would come and
avenge the death of their countryman; but summer
came round again ; and even two summers passed
quickly by. At the beginning of the third winter, the
same kayaker again rowed up to Kakortok, provided
with the usual hunting tools, bladder and all. This
time he again happened to see a Kavdlunak gathering
shells, and somehow he took a fancy to kill him too.
He rowed up towards him on that side where the sun
was shining full upon the water, and launching his spear
at him, killed him at once, upon which he returned home
unobserved, and told how he had done away with one
of the Kavdlunait. They reproached him with not
having let their chief know of this ; and the murderer
answered them, "The first time I only killed him
because I was asked over and over again to do so."
Some time after this occurrence, a girl was sent out to
draw water in the evening ; but while she was filling the
pail, she noticed the reflection of something red down
in the water. At first she thought it to be the reflection
of her own face ; but turning round, she was horrified
at seeing a great crowd of Kavdlunait. She was so
confounded that she left the pail behind, and hurried
into the house to tell what had happened. At the same
time the enemies posted themselves in front of the door
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and the windows. One of the inmates instantly ran
out, but was soon killed with an axe, and cast aside.
They were all despatched in this way : only two brothers
remained unhurt. They happily escaped out on the ice.
The Kavdlunait, however, soon caught sight of them,
saying, " Those are the last of the lot ; let us be after
them ; " and at once began the pursuit. The leader now
said, " I am the quickest of you ; let me start after
them ; " and he followed them out on the ice, where the
speed of the brothers had been greatly retarded owing
to the younger one having got new soles to his boots,
which made them slippery, and caused him often to lose
his footing. At length they reached the opposite shore,
and Kaisape (pron. Kysapee), the elder, succeeded in
climbing the icy beach ; but the younger fell, and was
quickly overtaken. Ungortok cut off his left arm, and
held it up before his brother, saying, " Kaisape ! as long
as thou livest thou won't surely forget thy poor brother."
Kaisape, who was not armed, could render him no as-
sistance, but quickly took to his heels. He crossed the
country for Kangermiutsiak, where his father-in-law was
living. Here he remained all winter, and was presented
with a kayak. In summer he kayaked southward to
learn some magic lay that had power to charm his
enemies. He again wintered at Kangermiutsiak; but
when the summer came round he went away to the
north, in order to find himself a companion. At every
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place he came to, he first inquired if there happened to
be a couple of brothers, and then he went on to examine
the inside fur of their boots to see whether they had
any lice in them ; and he travelled far and wide before
he found two brothers, of whom the younger one was
altogether without lice. This one he persuaded to
assist him, and made him return with him to Kanger-
miutsiak. He was now very intent on catching seals ;
and of all he caught he had the hairs removed from the
skins, which were then used for white skins. This done,
he went out in search of a large piece of driftwood, and
at last found one to suit his purpose. He now pro-
ceeded to excavate it with his knife until it was all
hollow like a tube, and made a cover to fit tightly at
one end ; and both sides he furnished with little holes,
for which he also made stoppers of wood. Being thus
far ready, he first put all the white skins inside the
hollow space, shut it up at the end with the cover, and
likewise closed the little side holes. He then put it
down into the water, upon which all the kayakers joined
in towing it down the inlet to Pingiviarnek, where they
landed it ; and having got out the skins, attached strings
to them, then hoisted and spread them like sails, so
that the boat came to have the appearance of a some-
what dirty iceberg, the skins being not all alike white.
The people now got in : it was pushed off from land,
and Kaisape gave the order, " Let the skins be spread ! "
This was accordingly done; and the people on shore
were astonished to see how very like it was to an ice-
berg floating slowly along. Kaisape, who wanted to
take a survey of the whole from shore, said to the crew,
" Now ye can take the boat out yourselves, while I step
ashore to have a look at it.*' When he beheld the work
of his hands, he was well pleased with it, and ordered
the boat to load again. The skins were all spread out
to dry in the sun; and when this had been done, he
remarked that he had not yet forgotten his brother.
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They were now ready to go to Kakortok and have their
revenge, but for some time they were obliged to station
themselves at Arpatsivik, waiting a favourable wind to
carry them up the inlet. When the fair wind had set
in, the firth gradually filled with broken bits of ice of
different form and size. Now was the time for Kaisape
to spread all sail and get in. Several boats followed in
his wake, but the crews landed a little north of Kakor-
tok to gather fagots of juniper; while Kaisape and his
helpmates, well hidden in the hollow wood, and keeping
a constant look-out through the peep-holes, drifted
straight "on towards the house. They saw the Kavd-
lunait go to and fro, now and then taking a look down
the inlet. Once they distinctly heard it announced,
"The Kaladlit (plur. of kaldles* a Greenlander) are
coming : " upon which they all came running out of the
house ; but when the master had reassured them, saying,
" It is nothing but ice," they again retired; and Kaisape
said, "Now, quick! they won't be coming out for a
while, I think." They got out on shore; and, well
loaded with juniper fagots, they all surrounded the
house. Kaisape filled up the doorway with fuel, and
then stuck fire to it, so that all the people inside were
burned ; and those who tried to make their escape
through the^passage were also consumed. But Kaisape
cared little for the people in general ; his thoughts all
centred in Ungortok ; and he now heard one of his
helpmates exclaiming, " Kaisape I the man whom thou
seekest is up there." The chief had by this time left
the burning house through a window, and was flying
with his little son in his arms. Kaisape went off in
pursuit of him, and approached him rapidly. On reach-
ing the lake, the father threw his child into the water that
it might rather die unwounded. Kaisape, however, not
being able to overtake his antagonist, was forced to
return to his crew. Ungortok ran on till he reached
Igaliko, and there established himself with another chief
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 3IS
named Olave. On finding that Kaisape would not leave
him at peace there, he removed to the head of the firth
Agdluitsok, where he settled at Sioralik, while Kaisape
established himself at the outlet of the same firth. The
following summer he again left in pursuit of Ungor-
tok, who, however, succeeded in getting to the coast
opposite the island of Aluk. Kaisape traced him right
along to the north side of the same island, where he
took up his abode ; and he now consulted the East-
landers with regard to some means of killing Ungortok.
At last one stood forth, saying, " I will get thee a bit
of wood from a barren woman's boot-shelf, out of which
thou must shape thine arrow." Having pronounced
some spell upon it, he handed it over to Kaisape, who
acknowledged the gift saying, " If it comes true that
this shall help me, I will be bound to give thee my aid
in hunting and fishing." He now went on making as
many arrows as could be contained in a quiver fashioned
out of a sealskin ; and last of all, he added the precious
charmed one, and then with his helpmates left for the
great lake in front of Ungortok's house, where Kaisape
stuck all the arrows in the ground at a certain distance
from each other; and finally also the charmed one.
He let his companion remain below by the lake, and
cautiously mounted some high hills by himself, from
whence he could see Ungortok striding to and fro outside
his house. He heard him talk to himself, and mention
the name of Kaisape. However, he resolved to await
the coming of night to carry out his purpose. In the
dusk he stole away to the house, and looked in at
the window, holding his bow ready bent. Ungortok
was passing up and down as swiftly as a shadow, on
account of which it was impossible for him to take a
sure aim. He therefore levelled his bow at Ungortok's
wife, who lay sleeping with a baby at her breast. Un-
gortok, hearing a noise, gave a look at his wife, and
perceived the arrow sticking fast in her throat. Mean-
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time Kaisape had quickly run back to the margin of the
lake to fetch another arrow, while Ungortok sped after
him with uplifted arm holding the axe that had formerly
killed his brother in readiness for himself. Kaisape
launched his second arrow at him, but Ungortok escaped
it by falling down and making himself so thin that
nothing but his chin remained visible ; and before long
Kaisape had spent all his arrows, without having hit his
mark. Ungortok broke them in twain, and threw them
into the lake. But at last Kaisape caught hold of the
charmed arrow, and this went straight through the
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protruding chin down into the throat As Ungortok
did not, however, expire immediately, Kaisape took
flight, but was shortly followed by the wounded Ungor-
tok. Kaisape had been running on for a good long
while, when all of a sudden he felt his throat getting
dry, and fell down totally exhausted. Remembering
Ungortok, however, he soon rose again, and running
back to see what had become of him, found his dead
body lying close by. He now cut off his right arm, and
holding it up before the dead man, repeated his own
ivords, " Behold this arm, which thou wilt surely never
forget ! " He also killed the orphan child ; and taking
the old Eastlander with him, he travelled back to Kan-
germiutsiak, where he sustained the old man, whose
bones, according to report, were laid to rest in that
same place.
(2.) THE FIRST MEETING OF THE KALADLIT WITH THE
ANCIENT KAVDLUNAIT IN GREENLAND.
In former times, when the coast was less peopled
than now, a boat's crew landed at Nook (Godthaab).
They found no people, and traversed the fiord to Kan-
gersunek. Half-way up to the east of Kornok, near
Kangiusak, they came upon a large house; but on
getting closer to it, they did not know what to make
of the people, seeing that they were not Kaladlit. In
this manner they had quite unexpectedly come across
the first Kavdlunak settlers. These likewise for the
first time saw the natives of the country, and treated
them kindly and civilly; but the Greenlanders never-
theless feared them, and made for their boats. On
getting farther up the fiord, they found many Kavdlunait
stationed. However, they did not put in an3nvhere, but
hastened away as fast as possible. When the boat and
its crew returned from their summer trip in the fiord,
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they told their countrymen all around of their encounter
with the foreigners, and many of them now travelled up
to see them. Many boats having thus reached Kanger-
sunek, they now began to have intercourse with the
Kavdlunait, seeing that they were well disposed towards
them. Later on in the summer, many more Kaladlit
arrived, and the foreigners began to learn their language.
At Kapisilik a Kavdlunak and a Kalalek, it is said,
became such fast friends that they would not be separ-
ated, but were constantly together. They tried to excel
each other at different games and feats of dexterity;
and their countrymen on both sides were greatly diverted
as lookers-on; but being both first-rate archers, their
arrows always fell side by side. One day the Kavdlu-
nak said, " Come, let us climb yon lofty hill ; but first
we will stretch a skin for a target to aim at on that
little islet yonder ; then we will try which of us can hit
the mark. He who fails shall be thrown down the
precipice, and the other remain the conqueror." The
Kalalek answered, " No, I will not agree to that, because
we are friends, and none of us shall perish." But the
Kavdlunak persisted so long that his own countrymen
at last said, '* Well, let him be thrown down as it is
at his own will;" and the Kalalek at last gave in,
and they climbed the mountain together, accompanied
by a crowd of spectators. The Kavdlunak was the
first to shoot, but altogether failed ; then the Kalalek
came in for his turn, and pierced the skin in the centre.
According to his own desire, the Kavdlunak was hurled
down the precipice, and his countrymen only thought it
served him right for having thus recklessly pledged his
life. From that day until the present this mountain has
been called Pisigsarfik (the shooting-place).
Note. — The two preceding stories are compiled from six differeut
manuscripts, in which the contents of both are partly mixed up, and the
same events have been localised for each of the two tracts of coastland in
which ruins of the old setUements are still to be seen — viz., the district
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 319
of Julianehaab, now most generally supposed to have been the old Easter-
bygd, and the district of Godthaab, identified with the ancient Westerbygd.
The second story, however, is only told by the Godthaab narrators, who
appear to have linked the first one to it, having previously altered and
adapted it for their homestead fiords of Kapisilik, Pisigsarfik, and Amer-
alik, and inserted the tale of Navaranak (sec No. 18) to explain the
banning of the warfare. The name Kakortok signifies Julianehaab
itself, as also some very remarkable Scandinavian ruins about eight miles
distant from it. Arpatsivik is an island between these places, upon which
some very ancient sod-covered Eskimo ruins are still to be seen, and are
pointed out as Kaisape's house.
(3.) THE ANCIENT KAVDLUNAITS RUIN NEAR ARSUT.
A kayaker one day went to the bay of Iminguit to
catch thong-scals. Arriving there he observed a tent
belonging to some Kavdlunait. He heard them jesting
and prating inside, and was strongly minded to go and
look in upon them. Accordingly he left his kayak, went
up to the place, and began to strike on the sides of the
tent This made them apprehensive, and they now be-
came quiet, which only encouraged him to continue all
the more, until he succeeded in silencing them alto-
gether. Then he took a peep in at them, and behold !
they were all dead with fear. At Ikat, the Kavdlunait
living there were also taken by surprise by the Kalad-
lit, and four fathers fled with their children out upon
the ice, which, however, being too thin, broke through
with them, so that all were drowned ; and it is said that
only a few years ago they might be seen at the bottom
of the sea. It is a common tradition at Arsut, that
whenever they become visible it is a sure foreboding
that one of the people will die.
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320 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
(4) ENCOUNTER OF KALADLIT WITH THE ANCIENT
KAVDLUNAIT ON THE ICE.
[A tale received from North Greenland.]
It IS said that the Kaladlit of the south country at
times were attacked in the autumn season, when the
lakes were frozen over, and the sea-shore was all bordered
with ice. It once happened that a man had been out
hunting, and came home with two white whales. In the
•evening a couple of girls came running into the house
crying, " The enemy is coming upon us 1 " At which
the man got into a passion, and tore the fishing-line
which he was busily winding up. But when he was
about to go out, the Kavdlunait were already making
an onset upon the house. The housewife, who had been
newly delivered of a child, was by means of sorcery got
through a window, and several escaped the same way ;
but all those who attempted to get through the entrance
were miserably killed. The master of the house, who
had escaped along with his wife, returned to bring his
mother out, but finding her badly wounded had to leave
her to her fate. Some had in this manner escaped, and
hastened away to hide themselves among the stone-
heaps, from whence they heard the enemy's wild shouts
of triumph. And the man had to witness his mother
being dragged across the frozen lake by a rope fastened
to her tuft of hair. Though greatly enraged, he tried
to keep qufet in his hiding-place, but ordered the two
girls down on the ice, saying, " Now ye go on to the
edge of the water, and when they overtake you plunge
yourselves into the sea." Sobbing and crying, they did
as they were bid. No sooner had they been observed
by the Kavdlunait than they were seen to run out after
them ; but the ice was too slippery for them, and they
lost their footing. Some fell on their backs, others
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 32 1
sideways, and some went tottering about. The angfy
Kalalek now asked his people how many of the enemy
had gone out on the ice, and whether any of them were
still on shore. About this, however, they did not agree ;
but at last one of them said, " That all of them had now
got down." Immediately the furious Kalalek rushed
out on the ice, spear in hand, and another one in store.
The first of the Kavdlunait he met with was instantly
speared; the others fell on approaching him, and were
likewise killed. When the point of his spear had got too
sticky with blood, he would only take time to blow it
away ; and before the girls had reached the open sea,
he had despatched the whole of them. However, he
turned back again, and pierced them through their bellies,
in order to complete his vengeance, and then returned
to the house, where he found the inmates all killed.
65.
PISAGSAK AND THE KIVIGTOK.
[This tale, having only been received from one narrator, appears too doubt-
ful to be included among those that treat on the ancient Kavdlunait.]
PISAGSAK one day went out kayaking in order to
* try his new bird-javelin, and in the excitement of
the sport was carried far away from his homestead. At
length he arrived at the foot of a steep mountain-wall,
from the top of which a long ladder was suspended ; and
having reached the top with great trouble, he surveyed
a little plain spreading below him on the other side,
covered with cotton-grass, the down of which was car-
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322 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ried along by the wind. On the further side the plain
was bordered by another mountain-wall. He climbed
this likewise, and far below, on the other side, lie now
beheld a little house. He stole along to it and peeped
in at the window, but only saw one old kivigtok sit-
ting at his work. When he was about to withdraw as
noiselessly as he had come, the old man accosted him,
saying, " Of course I have seen thee, so please to come
inside." Pisagsak now entered ; and the old man, all
shaky and shivering, in a peevish voice continued, " I
would like thee for my companion ; thou hadst better
stop with me ;" and so saying he went out, and soon after
returned with some dried meat and tallow. Pisagsak now
satisfied his hunger ; his host then went out, and took
some boiled reindeer out of a large pot, which pleased
him even more. At night Pisagsak could hardly sleep
for fear of his aged housemate. When he awoke in the
morning the old man had gone off, but on looking round
he perceived a great number of boots dangling on the
cross-bar beneath the roof. He took them, overhauled
them, and put them up to dry, and then proceeded to
do the cooking. In the evening he heard a noise, and
soon saw the old man coming along with two large
bucks. He now said to him, " Here is some work for thee
to put thy hand to ; come away and skin them at once."
Pisagsak remained with him, and took charge of the
household work; he learned to snare partridges and
shoot reindeer, and after some time grew very dexter-
ous as a sportsman. One evening the old kivigtok went
on, saying, " To-morrow is the day when the women of
the Kavdlunait use to come here to fetch water. I dare-
say there will be some young girls among them : we will
go and have a look at them." The following morning
they started, and arrived at a place from whence they
could see a great many houses, beyond which a spring
was visible ; and they went to hide themselves behind
some large stones. About sunrise the first girl came.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 323
filled her pail, and retired. Others followed, some of
whom were handsome, others were old and slow. A young
and very beautiful woman now approached, and had
just put down her pail, and commenced pouring in water,
when Pisagsak noticed that the old man was getting
very excited, and trembled all over. The next moment,
however, he sprang on the young girl and carried her
away, having first stuffed her mouth to keep her from
calling out; and Pisagsak of course followed them.
Having reached their house, they took away her boots
to prevent her from running away, and only went out to
hunt by turns, in order to keep watch on her. How-
ever, the girl at length got reconciled to her fate, and
gave up all idea of flight ; and they could now venture
to leave the house together. On their return they al-
ways found the work of the house ready done, and their
clothes and boots mended. Another day Pisagsak again
accompanied the old man to the spring to look at the
girls. This time the old man ordered Pisagsak to catch
a nice one; but he lingered and waited till an old
woman, wrinkled all over, made her appearance ; then
he rushed on and took hold of her, and brought her
home ; and when the old woman had passed one day
with them, she came to like them, and did not care to
go back. Now they had two women in the house, and
they did exceedingly well. One day the kivigtok said
to Pisagsak, " To-morrow the Kavdlunait will be making
an assault on us from the sea-side ; let us go and look
out for them." The next morning they went away to
the top of the high cliff, where the ladder was made fast,
and they saw several boats approaching the coast. The
old man now spoke: *' Now they begin to land ; but when
they have all got on shore and try to climb the ladder,
I will loosen it on the top, and then thou wilt see a
sight." Pisagsak now stood in great expectation ; and
presently they had all got on the ladder ; but not until
the first of them appeared wielding his lance above the
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324 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
summit of the steep mountain-side did the kivigtok
loosen the cords from the stone. A tremendous cry
now followed, and the Kavdlunait were all swallowed
up by the sea. Not one escaped. After this catas-
trophe the others for some time lived on in their usual
way, but the old woman at length took ill, and died
from sheer old age ; and after that Pisagsak beg^n to
long for his own home. When he told his master, he
did not object, but remarked, "Tell the Kavdlunait
yonder that they had better not attack me ; if they do,
I shall certainly destroy them." Pisagsak now returned
to his relatives, who had totally given him up, and he
likewise brought them the message of the kivigtok, and
never afterwards left home.
56.
THE ANGAKOK TUGTUTSIAK.
[This tale, only received in one copy, has been adopted for the present
collection on account of its referring to the process of being angakok
poolik^ frequently mentioned by the older authors in connection with
the (jreenhinders.]
TUGTUTSIAK and his sister were a couple of
orphans, and lived in a great house. It once
happened that all the grown-up people went away berry-
gathering, leaving all children at home. Tugftutsiak,
who happened to be the eldest of them, said, " Let us
try to conjure up spirits; " and some of them proceeded
to make up the necessary preparations, while he himself
undressed, and covered the door with his jacket, and
closed the opening at the sleeves with a string. He
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 325
now commenced the invocation, while the other children
got mortally frightened, and were about to take flight.
But the slabs of the floor were lifted high in the air, and
rushed after them. Tugtutsiak would have followed
them, but felt himself sticking fast to the floor, and
could not get loose until he had made the children come
back, and ordered them to uncover the door, and open
the window, on which it again became light in the room,
and he was enabled to get up. He told his companions
not to mention it to the old ones when they returned ;
but as soon as the boat landed in the evening some of
the younger children forgot their promise, and said:
" We have had great fun to-day ; Tugtutsiak played at
angakok, and when we got frightened and took to our
heels, the slabs rose up from their place on the floor and
followed after us." The elder people were astonished,
but agreed to let him try it over again in the evening.
At this proposal Tugtutsiak got frightened, and took to
crying ; but afterwards, when the hunting became bad,
they wanted him to conjure up the sea-animals, and he
was made to sit down and call forth a bear and a wal-
rus, which were soon roaring outside the house. The
bear went ashore and took hold of Tugtutsiak, and flung
him along to the walrus, which again hurled him out to
the bear. In this manner Tugtutsiak alternately was
thrust from the walrus to the bear, and from the bear
to the walrus, until he lost sight of his native country,
and at length a new land rose in front of him ; but this
country was lower than the one he had left Close to
the shore the bear for the last time seized hold of him,
and threw him upon the beach. Having got there, his
senses revived, and close beside him he observed a house,
and on the roof, above the passage leading to it, was a
terrible dog, which, showing his white teeth, howled and
snarled at him when he drew nigh. Nevertheless he
approached, and for the first time observed that a bridge
as narrow as a knife's edge led into the inner
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326 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
which appeared totally dark". Still he proceeded, and
made his way to the main room, where the female owner
of the house lay on the ledge, suflfering great pain. Her
hair was all loose and dishevelled, and her face turned
to the wall. On seeing Tugtutsiak, she started to her
feet, crying out aloud, " What hast thou come for } thou
canst not take away what makes me suffer." But from
the narrow passage he rushed right upon her, took hold
of her by the hair, and flung her against the door-post
Having, however, got his hands entangled in her long
hair, he was himself dragged along with her, and could
not extricate himself. He tried to throw her off, but
his hands could not be got loose ; and she surrendered
herself to him, saying, " Now I see thou mayst be cap-
able of removing my sufferings." On closer examina-
tion Tugtutsiak found her eyes, nostrils, and mouth
stuffed with dirt and filth. He cleaned it away, and
threw it outside, after which the hideous woman grew
somewhat composed, and after a while resumed, " Now
do my hair." He put it up in the usual tuft, uix>n which
she took down some eagles' wings from a nail in the wall,
and stirred up the smoking lamp, so as to make it burn
brightly. For the first time he could now see that the
walls were hung with skins like those used for boat-
covers ; and though the lamp was now burning quite
clearly, he could not distinguish any objects in the more
remote parts of the room, which were in total dark-
ness. A moment after he heard the horrible woman
saying, " My guest ought not to go alone ; let some one
accompany him out : " and presently a little man with
a very short nose emerged from out of the wall, and
after him a host of similar creatures, who all passed out
of the doorway ; when the last had vanished, they were
all heard to cry out, " Kah, kah — sa, sa ! " just like the
shrieks of auks. Other varieties followed soon — some
with flat noses, and others with crooked ones ; but when
they were getting too numerous she cried " Stop ! "
TALES AND TRADITIONS. 327
When the last were about to pass Tugtutsiak, he
scratched some of them in the forehead, because he
noticed that they were transfigured as soon as they
passed the doorway, and he put a mark upon some of
the most beautiful specimens, that he might know them
again if he happened to catch them. Afterwards seve-
ral other curious creatures appeared, some of them with
large heads and great beards, and as soon as they were
getting too numerous she again cried " Stop ! " When
these had all passed by, he observed that the lamp
burned still brighter, and the way through the passage
was now quite smooth, and sufficiently wide, and the
dog wagged his tail quite amicably at him. Simultane-
ously with all these strange doings, his house-fellows at
home observed that his belongings were shaking. On
his way home he was again alternately thrown along by
the bear and the walrus ; but the last time by the bear,
and he gained his homestead, where his relatives sat
singing for him on his return. Being apprised of his
arrival through the noise caused by his entrance, a great
man among them gave orders, " Light the lamp for
him ; " and they could now see that no single spot of
his body had remained unwounded. This arose from
the teeth of the bear and the walrus, and they could not
hear him breathe. The lamps were again extinguished,
and the singing commenced ; some time after he began
to revive a little, but at daybreak they saw that his
wounds were not yet healed, and so they continued
the singing. There happened to be among them one
ostentatious fellow, who on the following morning went
out to have a look at the ice. On his return he ex-
claimed, " I guess it will be a meagre hunt he will pro-
cure us ; " but Tugtutsiak only muttered, " Wait a bit
— ^let my wounds first heal, and then we will see;" and
when they began healing, a gale from the south-east had
suddenly set in. A man who had gone out to recon-
noitre quickly returned, reporting that the ice _v*^as
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328 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
rapidly receding from the shore, and instantly after-
wards auks and dovekies were seen in numbers. The in-
habitants soon hastened out with their fowling-spears,
and they had their kayaks filled before evening. The
boaster, however, only got one bird. When they began
to catch seals, they gave to the angakok the first one
they caught, of all varieties ; and he examined all he
got closely, hoping to find out those he had marked, but
all in vain. Some time after, however, the report came
that far away at lUulissat there had been caught a thong-
seal and a spotted seal both with a mark right between
the eyes.
57.
THE WITCHCRAFT OF KULANGE.
IT was Kulange's (pron. Koolanghee's) business to
bring up and down the fishing implements, tools,
and arms of the kayakers. Having no kayak of his
own, he only roamed about the country. He had
but one friend ; and on a certain day he saw his friend
engaged in opening a new grave and cutting a piece
out of the dead body. He had taken a morsel of fiesh
and the bladder. He approached silently, and after
having watched his proceeding, he asked him what he
was about. The friend turned round, explaining to him,
" I want it to work some witchcraft." But having thus
been taken by surprise, he got ashamed and wished to
make it over to Kulange, saying that he might use it
advantageously any time he wanted to injure some great
hunter. He informed him that he ought to dry the
morsel of dead man's flesh, and put it beneath the point
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 329
of the hunter's harpoon, and that in this manner he
might in less than a moment turn a clever hunter into a
very poor one. The bladder he was likewise to dry,
and if ever he happened to get an enemy, he was to
blow it up, and, while the other was asleep, press the
air out upon him. At length Kulange accepted the
gift, and after making the grave up anew, they both
departed. Meanwhile Kulange put by the things, in-
tending to try them on the first occasion. About the
beginning of winter one of his house-fellows had a par-
ticularly good hunt, and consequently got quite rich,
Kulange at once determined whether he could put an
end to his great good luck ; with this view he put a bit
of the flesh beneath the point of his harpoon, while the
owner was sleeping, after which he sneaked silently
away to his couch. On the return of the kayakers the
following evening, it happened that only he on whose
harpoon the bit of flesh had been concealed, was unsuc-
cessful ; and this continued from day to day until one
day Kulange again took it away and cleaned the point
well where it had been deposited. No sooner had this
been done, than the kayaker returned tugging' a large
seal after him like all the rest, and he had the same
good luck ever afterwards. Kulange now thought that
he had sufficiently tested the magic power of the flesh,
and he only awaited an opportunity to make somebody
angry with him in order to try the effect of the bladder.
It so happened that his daughter-in-law got offended
with him, and in her wrath called him ''the nasty
Kulai^e." The next day it blew a gale from the south,
and he went out to fill the bladder with air. When she
was asleep in the evening, he went up beside her and let
the air out upon her. At dawn she awoke with a swell-
ing in her side, and later in the day she was swollen all
over. Her husband instantly rowed away to fetch an
angakok from a neighbouring place. He came back
with him, and after having practised his incantations
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for some time in the darkened room, he knew enough
to tell that the misdeed had been done by Kulange,
who immediately confessed his guilt, saying, " I cer-
tainly did it, and here are the implements given me by
my friend." Having heard the whole state of the case,
the bewitching objects were sunk deep in the sea ; but
the wicked friend was put to death.
58.
THE OLD MEN'S REVENGE.
TWO men were living together, each of them having
a son. When the young men were beginning to
provide for them, the old ones resolved to abandon
hunting altogether, and gave themselves up to their
ease and comfort. One of them, who most valued a life
of idleness and ease, soon got rid of all his tools and
implements, while the other one had still a few left.
Their sons used both to start in the morning as well as
to return together at night ; and they were accustomed
to brave the fiercest gales, so that the parents were
never alarmed on their account. Nevertheless, one day
when they had left with fair weather in the morning,
they happened not to return as usual in the evening.
The reason was that they had fallen in with a man of
more than common strength, well known in those parts
as a formidable man-slayer, and he had killed them both.
Under these circumstances, the old men had again to
take to their kayaks; but as one of them had no
hunting-tools, he made a bird-javelin, the point of which
he fashioned out of a sharp-edged piece of bone, for
want of iron ; and for the point of his lance, having
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 33 1
nothing better, he used the rib of a seal. Their prepar-
ations made, they said to one another, " We may as well
run the risk and be off* ; we are not of much account
anyhow." Early the next morning they set off* in their
kayaks, and soon lost sight of the outermost islands ;
turning more to the north, they took care to keep right
in the glittering sunshine, that they might not so easily
be perceived. After a little while they detected an
almost giant-like kayaker hunting to the north of them.
They quickly paddled up to him, all the time keeping in
the sun. While he was stooping down, resting on his
paddle, they had recourse to charms, and hoped by this
means to get the better of him. When they had got
still closer, the one that had no weapons said to his com-
panion, " When thou thinkest him to be within thy aim,
lose no time in thrusting thy harpoon at him : if he sees
us beforehand he will be sure to catch us both." At
these words the other rushed forward and lifted his har-
poon. His companion thought he was going to throw
it, but while he was in the act of so doing, he took
fright and whispered, " Where } where ? when i " At
length, however, he did fling the harpoon ; but in the
meantime the murderer had heard the noise, and as
he was turning round to look for the cause, the other
missed him, only hitting the kayak. On this his com-
panion exclaimed, " Did not I tell thee to be quick lest
he should forestall thee and make us both his prey ?
Now look well after thy bladder." The other merely
replied, " Now is thy turn ; lance thy javelin into him."
It cleft the air with a whizzing sound, and though it
first went beyond him, it quickly rebounded and struck
the manslayer on the crown of his head with a crack.
He was seen to stagger and fall over on one side ; and
now the first kayaker launched his spear at him, and
another splash was heard. When they had thus killed
him between them, they examined his body and found .
that the javelin with the bone point had killed him
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332 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
without even penetrating as far as the barbs. They now
thought, " If we leave him here his relatives will know
nothing of him ; let us rather bring him to the coast."
Tying him to their kayaks, they tugged him to the
shore, where they soon discovered his house near the
beach, and saw a person emerge from it, who, shading
her eyes with her hands, took a survey of the sea, and
then re-entered. This person was the daughter of the
strong man, who, not expecting any other kayak, was
only on the look-out for her father. She soon came out
again, and seemed greatly astonished that the strange
kayakers had already gained the coast. They now
called out to her, " This is only what thou mightst
expect. He killed our sons, and we have paid him back
in the same manner." She remained quite motionless
for some time ; but at last she said in a low voice,
" You are in the right ; it is only what he deserved : "
but she briskly added, " Ye ought to come up and visit
our house." She could not help wondering that those
two wretches had been able to conquer her powerful
father. When she went on urging them to come up,
and herself came further down the beach to welcome
them, one whispered to the other, " Since the father was
so fearfully strong, the daughter, no doubt, is not less
so, so don't go." Though they had already started,
she followed them running along the water-side, still
beseeching them to come. But the old men were only
the more afraid of her ; and though they had made a
great distance from the shore, they could still see how
she undressed herself, first taking off her jacket, then
her boots, and at last her breeches, and seated herself
thus naked on the water-edge. One of the old men
seeing this, thought it good fun, and wanted to go back
to her ; but his companion rebuked him saying, " What
is it thou art about } She will be sure to take thy life
if thou goest" He gave up his intention, and having
put further out to sea, they once more looked round and
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 333
saw the woman jump up and run up to the house with-
out ever minding her clothes. The second kayaker
now remarked, "Being' so strong, she will very likely
pursue us in her boat ; " and he was not mistaken. Im-
mediately they saw her creeping down beneath the
boat, intending to carry it down on her back ; and they
could still hear her gnashing her teeth, calling out,
" Would I could kill them both like this I " at the same
time crushing a piece of wood to atoms between her
fingers. They at length lost sight of her. At home
they related how they had despatched the well-known
murderer; and their mind was somewhat relieved by
having had their revenge.
69.
ATERFIO.
TWO widows, having each a son, had chosen their
winter quarters at no great distance from one
another. Both of them happened to have several neigh-
bours ; but though these principally consisted of rich
and prosperous people, they did not think of assisting
the poor orphans. Having lost their supporters, the
widows suffered much from want, and they therefore
admonished their young sons to be wise and kind to
the other children, lest they should be deprived of the
scanty help they now enjoyed. At last, however, the
relatives furnished the orphans with kayaks. He who
lived furthest south was named Aterfio, and the other
one living to the north was called Sukallassok. They
grew up to be much renowned for their strength and
vigour. They always chose their hunting-places far off
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the coast ; and even in hard weather and heavy gales
went out, and never came home empty-handed. On
their return they always used to give the orphans a
plentiful repast, and had special stores of provisions set
apart for orphan children against hard times. One day
Aterfio had gone out hunting beyond the skerries and
islands ; the wind was northerly and the sky clear. He
had already got two seals, and, expecting to catch some
more, he still rowed on, till all of a sudden he heard a
noise, and turning round, beheld Sukalassok with raised
arm aiming his harpoon at him. Not being able to
make any resistance, he was obliged to await his fate ;
keejSing his eyes on him, he capsized his kayak towards
him so as make the harpoon only touch the side of it.
As soon as he again had risen, the thought flashed
through him to revenge hinxself on Sukalassok ; but he
gave up the idea and turned towards home. On his
arrival he did not mention the matter at all ; but some-
time later, in a gale from the north, the same thing hap-
pened over again. He forebore to take revenge ; but
this time told those at home that Sukalassok had twice
attempted to kill him. But his mother bade him not to
take revenge. " Never mind," she went on ; " let him
go on as he likes, only thou shun his companionship."
Soon after, however, Aterfio being busy in his hunting-
grounds, suddenly heard a whizzing sound close by,
and presently afterwards was grazed by an arrow, which
fell into the water alongside of him. His wrath was
now up, and he could not resist paying him back. In
less than no time he levelled his harpoon at Sukalassok
and killed him right off. At home he reported his
deed, and said he would flee to the south, thinking it
probable that the relatives of Sukalassok might take
part with the slain and pursue hinL But his mother
told him he need not fear his new enemies, and he re-
mained at the old place as before. Soon after he mar-
ried and got a son, whom he called Akeralik. One day
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 335
an old man came to visit them, who reported that the
relatives of Sukalossok were ill-minded towards Aterfio ;
to which he rejoined, " They are quite welcome to any-
thing ; and thou mayst tell them that I myself, my little
son, and the rest of the household, are ready to receive
them whenever they like." But from that day they
grew suspicious, and not long afterwards a great many
strange boats appeared off the coast. At the sight
Aterfio went in, relieved himself of his jacket, went
straight down to the beach, and seated himself on a flat
stone with his back turned to the sea. Rowing on, the
ka)rakers deliberated among themselves who should be
the first to wound him. Some of them quickly gained
upon the rest, and on coming quite close to him, the
foremost took up his harpoon to strike him ; although
it hit the mark, it did him no harm, but the harpoon
broke in three pieces. The next kayakers likewise un-
launched their harpoons at him, but had them broken in
the same manner without wounding him in the least.
They now held a council, and agreed in landing to try
a match with him on shore. Aterfio willingly attended.
The strangers stayed the night over ; and early the next
morning four stout and powerful men made their way
through the entrance ; but Aterfio said, " My house is
too small, let us fight in the open air." Having reached
the meadow above, one of the strong men instantly
rushed in upon Aterfio to try a wrestling-match with
him ; but Aterfio only turned to him and thrust him
down as easily as i& he had been a fox, upon which he
soon died. The foreigners now made a general assault
on him, but he shook them off like children, and on the
way home he killed the whole of them. After this
Aterfio trained his son to all kinds of daring feats on
land as well as at sea ; and thus Akeralik grew to be a
man, and was still stronger and even more fearless than
his father. His hunting-ground was far out at sea, and he
hunted seals and white whales alike, and could keep his
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breath under water as well as any seal. One day when
they were a long way off the coast, a small-topped cloud
rose on the horizon. Aterfio asked his son, " Dost thou
see the cloud yonder ? When the mists come up from
that side it will not be child's-play ; let us put back with
all speed." They put their seals on th^ top of their
kaysdcs and made them fast with the harpoon-lines, and
headed for the shore. Each of them had captured two
seals. Scarcely had they put about, before a heavy gale
came rushing down upon them, turning the sea into one
mass of foam, and completely hiding the land. A roar-
ing noise was now heard, and Aterfio said, " Take care
we don't smash together ; keep further away from me."
At the same time he saw a great sea topped with foam
close upon them, and turning side on, bolted across
them ; but notwithstanding, they kept their breath and
rowed away under water until they soon afterwards
both emerged on the surface. At last his son got a tear
in his thick outer jacket ; then he spoke to his father,
** Now mind thine own self, I must needs speed on ; "
and he skimmed the surface like a falcon pursuing his
prey, and was lost to sight in less than a moment Both
safely reached home. About this time the Southlanders
happened to hear the fame of the mighty Aterfio and
of his son Akeralik, who with his kayak matched a^
falcon in speed. Among this people of the south there
was a strong man named Tajarnek, who greatly longed
to have an encounter with Aterfio. One day Aterfio and
all his family remained at home. The air was clear
and the weather fine. They saw a great many boats
and kayaks apparently passing by their place; but
Aterfio came down to the water's edge, and hailed
them, shouting, " Where are ye for } It is late in the
evening ; ye had better put in and take shelter with us
for the night." One of the men replied, "We have
heard of the mighty Aterfio, and have come to offer him
a match." Aterfio replied, " He whom ye see is nothing
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extraordinary, but his son is a man of great strength ; "
so saying, he pointed to him as he stood at his side, to
let them know of whom he was speaking. The kayakers
stopped short in great amazement, never thinking him
to be the person in question. But Aterfio went on,
" But here is a first-rate landing-place, and ye can pass
the night here." Accordingly they landed ; and after
a needful rest, they all resorted to a level spot above
the houses, Tajarnek first seized Aterfio, but was soon
thrown over — without being hurt, however. Several
times they closed with him, but Aterfio was as staunch
as a rock. Akeralik now thought it time for him to
interfere ; every man he touched was soon thrown down.
At first they turned them over without injuring them
further ; but at length they slew Tajarnek and all the
rest. All the Southlanders, women and children included,
were thus put to death. From this time upwards
Aterfio roamed all along the coast-side, and father and'
son were equally renowned ; and they both ended their
days without ever having been wounded.
60.
INUGTUJUSOK.
SEVERAL brothers lived in a large house with five
windows. -About the time when the youngest of
th^m had grown to manhood, a widow with one beau-
tiful daughter happened to live at a place not far off.
The brothers were very kindly disposed towards the
widow, and when the youngest had made the daughter
his sweetheart they grew still more intimate, and the
Y
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338 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
brothers never failed to bring her part of their hunt.
Every night the bridegroom used to cross the country to
see his bride, but unhappily there lived in that neigh-
bourhood a wicked angakok, a man-slayer, named Inug-
tujusok. He had made himself a hiding-place by dig-
ging out a cave in the snow like those formerly used for
fox-trapping. Close by the way on which the young
man used to pass on going to his girl, Inugtujusok slyly-
made his cave, and went to hide himself there in order
to waylay or murder him. One evening the young
woman accompanied her lover home ; when all of a
sudden they caught sight of Inugtujusok emerging from
the cave. On seeing him armed with a lance, they both
took flight, and he pursued them closely, crying out to
the girl, " Help me to tire him out ; if thou canst not I
will kill you both." The girl pitied her lover, but being
obliged to help the dreadful angakok she pretended to
be pursuing him, and before long he was overtaken and
killed. She returned home, and mentioned naught
about the matter to her mother. The following morn-
ing, however, the brothers all came up to her house,
calling out, " Where is our brother ? " No reply was
made. Again they cried, " Where is our brother } " but
again no answer came. At last they tore a hole in the
window, and constantly repeating their question, went on
to break down the roof. Nor until the mother said,
" They have begun to unroof our house, do give them
an answer," did she exclaim, "Yesterday, on his re-
turn from our house, I accompanied hiip on the way,
and saw him killed by Inugtujusok;" and then she
burst into tears. The brothers likewise returned in
tears, and filled with hatred towards Inugtujusok. Well
knowing that he was a great angakok, they durst not
attack him at once, but gradually prepared themselves
to defy him. At this time they heard that Inugftujusok
intended to leave for the north for fear of his enemies.
Inugtujusok travelled all the summer, and did not
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 339
settle down till late in the autumn, in the far north.
There he got a son, whom he brought up with great care,
saying, " That since they had many enemies he ought
not to grow up a good-for-nothing." When he was full-
arown he was so clever and dexterous that he could ~ ""
datch the very tikagugdlik (beaked whale, Balanoptera
rostratd) with nothing but the ordinary kayak tools.
When he had attained to his perfection, and could not
be conquered by mere human beings, they remained no
longer where they were, but travelled back to the south.
The brothers had not meanwhile left their abode ;
but hearing that their enemy was drawing nigh they
went on to meet him half-way. One had furnished him-
self with a girdle of whalebone three fingers wide ; he
had first made it out of the skin of a thong-seal, and
tried to burst it open by pressing back his breath, but this
was not nearly strong enough ; and then he proceeded to
make the one of whalebone, as much tougher. This man
was thought the hardiest and strongest of all the brothers.
While they had gone to lie in wait for him on the islands
outside the country, Inugtujusok and his son happened
to set off in their boat, but on seeing their enemies they
would not go back there, but went to the place where
the brothers had formerly lived. Having passed the
night, they loaded their boat in order to proceed on
their journey. In the meantime the brothers had also
loaded their boat, ready to pursue them as fast as pos-
sible. Discovering their intention, Inugtujusok did not
proceed, but returned to his former quarters ; and the
brothers said, " Let us rather remain where we are, that
we may not frighten them away." Winter had now set
in, and a little daughter belonging to one of the bro-
thers was taken very ill. They now advised " Let us call
in the angakok Inugtujusok that he may come and try
his art upon her; and when he has done we will of
course put him to death." An old bachelor who lived
in the house with them was now sent off on this errand ;
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and when he had brought his message to Inugtujusok,
the angakok answered, " Well, let it be so." His son
was away at the time ; but he was beginning to think
that in the course of time their feelings had probably
softened, and their thoughts of revenge been given up. He
was himself beginning to grow old, and he accompanied
the bachelor back. On entering, the brothers cried,
" Poor thing, thou art getting rather aged ! " "I am so,"
he answered ; and this was all he spoke. They treated
him to a good meal, and in the evening the invocation
commenced ; and soon they agreed that the little girl
improved at once. The brothers thanked him, saying,
" Thou mayst sleep without fear, and go back to-mor-
row." When he awoke and found himself all alone he
suspected evil, and started up. On raising his head in
stepping over the door-sill of the outer entrance, he en-
countered a man standing close by, who accosted him,
saying, " It is very fine weather, but it is only daybreak,
and rather dark yet" On hearing these words he trem-
bled. After speaking, the man, though not he with
the strong girdle, struck him on the head, and al-
most stunned him, upon which the others rushed in
upon him, beating him so that his head was bruised,
and the brain gushed forth. The next morning the son
of Inugtujusok came on, ready for them. He was tak-
ing such strokes with his oars that the prow of his kayak
rose right out of the water, and he exclaimed, " I sup-
pose ye have done for him ! " They made answer from
land, " If thou venturest to approach this place we shall
send thee straight after him." At these words he rushed
on in a great passion ; but they stood ready to receive
and shake him off. Finding it quite impossible to get
on shore he at length gave it up, and wheeled round,
crying, " To-morrow ye shall be my spoil ! " The old
bachelor, however, warned him, saying, **Thou hadst
better give it up, and leave thy father alone. He was
only paid back according to his deserts, being[ himself a
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 34I
man-slayer." And the son of Inugtujusok responded,
" Let it be as thou proposest ; perhaps I shall only-
get new foes if I carry out my thoughts of vengeance.
People seeming to have no relatives, when they get
enemies generally have some relations (viz., avengers)
turning up." And report says that in this manner they
were reconciled.
61.
THE SONS WHO AVENGED THEIR
MOTHER.
A GREAT many brothers were living in a house to-
gether, with but one female ; that one being their
old mother. Beside the house they occupied was an-
other inhabited by an old couple, whose children con-
sisted of girls only ; and they never left their parents.
When the brothers removed to the other side of the
fiord in search of provender the old people followed
them, and took up their abode a little further down the
coast. Here the mother of the many men died, and
.being bereft of their housewife, the youngest brother
had to do the general work. On alternate days the
elder ones went out kayaking, and repaired to their
mother's grave to mourn her death. At last they
moved back to their usual winter station, and the old
people likewise resorted to their hut. From this place
also the brothers continued alternately to go out hunt-
ing one day, and visit their mother's grave the next,
whereas the youngest always stopped at home to flense
the seals and attend to the other house-work. One day,
on reaching the grave, they noticed that the top-stones
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342 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
had been disturbed, and were out of their proper place ;
the day after they again went to the tomb, and, after
hiding their kayaks, concealed themselves behind some
heaps of great rocks. When dawn had changed into broad
daylight they saw a kayaker putting off from their own
shore, and when he came nearer, they recognised him as
their own old neighbour. They first supposed him to
be going to a small uninhabited house down on the
coast ; but this he passed by, and went right up to the
grave, where he at once began to rummage about. The
brothers now said, "There is plain proof; he is the
criminal ; let us kill him to-morrow." They soon saw
the old man descending to his kayak, and pulling back
across the fiord to his own home, and followed him.
The next morning they sought him in his tent : he had
not yet arisen. The eldest brother went first, and after
him followed the others. The leader now accosted the
old man, saying, " It is not without reason we have thus
come to thee, but because the tomb of our mother has
recently been disturbed." "But who could possibly
have done it ? " the old man exclaimed ; " I am but a
poor decayed fellow, and am hardly able to get up to
the little house on the shore." The eldest brother an-
swered him: "Notwithstanding, I know thou art the
trespasser, inasmuch as we all saw thee pilfering about
the grave yesterday ; " and so saying, he rushed upon
him, and hauling him outside the tent killed him on the
spot This done he returned to the hut, and going right
up to the eldest girl, said to her, " Thy father shall re-
compense me through his daughter;" upon which he
brought her home and took her for his wife. The next
day the younger brothers were to watch her during the
absence of the elder ones, lest she should make her
escape. She remained there for a long while, but con-
tinued to be very obstinate, and could not be made to
lie down on the ledge, but remained sitting up till dawn
of day. At last she determined to kill her husband.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 343
He always used to put his knife in front of the lamp on
coming in for the night. One evening when all were
fast asleep, and her husband lay beside her, she took
hold of the knife, having first tied on her boots well.
The thought struck her, however, "If the others awake
at his cry, they will no doubt turn upon me at once ;
but let them take my life too, as they have already
taken that of my poor father." Putting aside her fears,
she stabbed him in the bosom, and in a moment he
silently expired. Without drawing the knife back, she
hurried away to her mother's house, saying, " Pack up
thy things speedily and let us be off ; I have killed the
eldest brother." That same night the boat was loaded,
and they started. She who had slain her husband ques-
tioned the man at the steer-oar, " What way are we
going?" He answered, "I shall follow the coast up
north." But she thought that the pursuers would most
probably likewise take that direction; when he turned to
the south, she feared that they would do the same, when
they had sought them in vain to the north ; and she ad-
vised him to steer right to sea. No sooner had they
turned their prow, off the land than the foremost of the
women-rowers broke her oar. She asked for that of her
neighbour, but broke that too ; and thus went on to
break them all, one after another, and at last wanted
the steersman to give up his too. He then asked her,
" What wouldst thou have me steer with ? " She said,
** With thy kayak-paddle, of course." They now rowed
on with the only oar left, he steering with his paddle.
The mother, who had her place in the bottom of the
boat, said to her son, the steersman, that they would
soon be in sight of land ahead of them, and told him
to steer straight towards the sun, and follow the coast
southwards. As she had said, a great looming land
soon broke upon their sight ; and observing a house on
the shore, they landed there. It so happened that only
one man was standing outside ; with this exception all
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344 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
there happened to be women. They were invited to
come in, and they accordingly entered.
In the meantime the brothers of the murdered man,
who were left behind in their former place, awoke and
found him stabbed, and steeped in blood beside them.
They hastened along to the house of their neighbours,
and finding it empty, at once made ready to pursue
them. First they scanned the coast to the north, and
asked intelligence of everybody they met with ; but not
gaining the information they sought, they put about;
and having again passed by their own place, they now
rowed south. There they had no better luck ; and having
roamed about for a long time, they only returned home
in time to get settled for the winter. Next summer they
also put out to sea, intending to cross the sea for Akili-
nek, but having reached the land on the other side, they
made to the north instead of to the south ; and having
put many inquiries to different people they happened
to meet with on the coast, they gave up the chase, and
settled down there.
Meantime the second of the sisters that had escaped
had got married to the only man o( their place ; and
their brother, on his side, had chosen a wife among the
sisters of his brothers-in-law. On getting a son, he
called his name after that of his poor deceased father.
The grandmother ordered them, " Bring me my bag ! "
and having got it she produced the whetstone of the
inuarutligaks (mountain-elves) from the bottom of it;
and rubbing the new-born baby with it, she went on re-
peating : " Child ! be as hard as this stone " (viz., invul-
nerable, by charm) ; and each time the child got a new
suit of clothes she would give him a rub with the stone,
repeating the words, " Be hard," &c. In course of time,
when the son had got more children, he one day chanced
to ask whether there were no more people in that coun-
try. One of the women answered him, " Ah, yes, to the
north of us are plenty of people, but having never been
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 345
there we don't know them." After this he tried to per-
suade his brother-in-law to follow hini thither. At first,
however, he would not consent to go to these strange
people ; but when the other went on entreating, he at last
agreed, and they started with only one boat. After a
rather long journey, they at last passed by a foreland,
under shelter of which they saw a great many tents
pitched round a little bay. The fugitive, next morn-
ing, ascended a hill ; but seeing a kayaker shove off from
land he hastened down, and likewise got into his kayak
in order to make his acquaintance. On getting up with
him, he thought he knew his features, thinking them to
be those of the next younger brother he had been liv-
ing with in his former home. On their way to the
hunting-place, he went on to question him thus : " Art
thou a native of this country ? " " Yes, I was born
here." '* Art thou also grown up here ? " " No, I am
neither born nor grown up here, but in the country op-
posite. When our eldest brother was killed by his wife
we left our land in search of her, hoping to find her out,
and finally landed here." The fugitive said, " Art thou
married.?" "Yes, I am." "Are all thy brothers mar-
ried.?" "Yes, excepting the youngest." "Hast thou
got any children } " " Yes, two — both boys." " Have
thy brothers got children ? " " Yes, and all of them
boys." On his return from the hunt, after having been
seated a little while in the tent, the inmates heard a
noise of many people outside, and presently all those
brothers came rushing in. He who was now the eldest
sat down opposite to his former sister-in-law, and at
once exclaimed, " These people are easily recognised."
To this the fugitive answered, " Maybe' we are easily
recognised, but so ye are too, although ye pretend to be
foreigners." The eldest brother said, " Can we possibly
let them remain alive, now that we have at length fallen
in with them ? " Their old adversary, the woman who
had committed the murder, was busy making sewing-
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346 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
thread. Her brother said, " They say that womankind
are not fit to revenge themselves on men;" and taking up
a large knife, he gave it to the other, saying, " Look
here ; that poor boy is named after my father, whom ye
killed, appease your thirst of vengeance by killing him
first." The bad man at once thrust his knife at the
boy, who was standing erect in the centre of the tent ;
but the knife glided off him, and a sound was heard as
if it had struck against something hard. On finding
that they were not able to pierce him through, he ex-
amined the knife and found it broken ; on which he re-
turned it to the owner, and they all left the tent. Shortiy
after, the former fugitive went outside and saw to his
amazement the people preparing to leave the place. He
then determined to do the same ; and both parties
started at the same time. The brothers crossed the sea
to go to their own country ; but the fugitives remained
for good at their new place of abode, where they lived,
they and their successors, and where their bones are
said to rest.
6 2.
ERNERSIAK THE FOSTER-SON.
LITTLE Emersiak lived with an aged stepmother
at a place where a number of men, who were all
brothers, housed together, and at that same place there
was also an immensely strong man. In the autumn the
youngest brother fell sick, and getting worse and worse
at length died. They all agreed in suspecting Ernersiak's
mother of having caused his death, and they only waited
a time when they should find her alone in the house to
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charge her with the deed One morning Ernersiak fur-
nished himself with some strings, and went away to set
up fox-traps, and the brothers, profiting by his absence,
entered and struck the old woman dead. But the strong
man took pity on Ernersiak ; and when he saw him re-
turning he went out to meet him, and said, " Don't thou
go into the tent ; thou won't see her any more ; the
brothers killed her this morning as soon as thou wert
gone ; " and the strong man adopted him, and, for want
of a better, gave him a bit of his dear mother's backbone
for an amriet The strong man brought him up, and
trained him according to the rules of strength : early in
the morning he lifted him off his couch by the hairs
only, and the boy did not awake till he was put down
on his feet. His new parents gave him a suit of clothes,
but these did not last long, because he had always to
exercise himself throwing and carrying stones. One
evening, when they were late up, his new father took a
skin, and spreading it on the floor he began to teach him
how to draw hook and crook. But he admonished him
not to join the other children at ball-playing, and for
this reason Ernersiak was always seen standing with
one arm out of his sleeve (a token of modesty), and
regarding them from a safe distance. One day, how-
'ever, while he was thus looking on, he got a severe
stroke on the top of his head, at which he fell to the
ground in a swoon ; when he came to himself, nobody
was near. Another time he was again struck down in
the same manner, but on rising he plainly saw some ope
sneaking away. Hurrying after him, he found him
hiding behind a rock ; and making right up to him, he
took hold of him by the collar of his jacket, and, hurl-
ing him several times round in the air, flung him to the
ground with such force that the blood gushed out of
his mouth and nose. " Ernersiak has been up to mis-
chief,'* was now all the cry ; and a large skin was pro-
duced to carry the wounded boy away upon, while
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Ernersiak seated himself on a little mound in front of
the house. Soon after the kayakers were seen to return,
and they were welcomed with the same cry — " Erner-
siak has been up to mischief." When his foster-father
heard this, he speedily loosened his towing-line, and
running up to Ernersiak said that they intended to kill
him. The brothers by this time had also got on shore,
and hearing what had happened, one among them ran
to fetch his spear, the others all following him. The
father of the wounded boy flung his lance with all his
strength at Ernersiak, who remained sitting, his back
turned towards them ; and though Ernersiak remained
unhurt, the lance was broken in pieces. The others
now tried their lances, but with no better luck. In
this manner, we are told, his foster-mother's amulet
wrought its first wonder. They now gathered round
him and caught hold of him ; but though they were so
many that he could hardly be seen in the crowd, they
were not able to throw him over. All of a sudden, he
turned round upon them, seized them one by one by
their fur collars, and hurled them all bleeding to the
ground. His foster-father now advised him to stop,
lest he should get too many enemies, upon which he
followed lym into the house, where he seated himself,
but could not be made to eat or speak. In the evening
his foster-father fetched him some liver, hoping he
would relish that, and on entering with it, remarked,
" The very last boat is now leaving us, and we shall
have no neighbours henceforth." On hearing this, he
leaned forward and chuckled grimly, well knowing that
he had been the cause of their hasty departure ; he en-
joyed the idea vastly, and from that moment he began
to find his appetite. His father, who now deemed it
only fair that he should have his own kayak, set to
building him one, and subsequently began to teach him
how to manage it, and before long the pupil proved
himself very apt at paddling as well as hunting in kayak.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 349
When his father awoke in the morning, his son had
already fetched his kayak-jacket, and when the father
went away for his own jacket, the son was already seated
in his kayak, waiting for his father, and invariably re-
turned home with some capture. One day he had been
waiting in his kayak for his father to come down and
start with him ; but thinking him too long about it he
paddled away alone, following the coast southwards, and
there, behind a cape, he suddenly fell in with another
kayaker. This man, however, did not recognise Emer-
siak, because he left him before he had got his kayak.
He asked him to go with him and visit his people ; and
presently they came upon a place covered with tents, in
front of which a number of people were engaged in
building boats, kayaks, &c. On catching sight of Er-
nersiak and his companion, they shouted, " Look there !
Ernersiak has turned a kayaker." At this moment
Ernersiak's companion paddled on in advance of him,
intending to make the shore before him ; but Ernersiak
followed him close, and almost before " He is going to
kill thee '* had escaped the bystanders, Ernersiak lifted
his harpoon and killed him from behind, then paddling
up to him, drew it out and turned his back upon them.
Having passed the cape he put ashore and climbed the
top, there to await his pursuers ; but when night set in,and
no one had as yet appeared, he again set off for home.
On reaching it he sulked, and would not eat. His father
guessed he had been guilty of some murder, and then
went on warning him against making too many enemies
for himself. After this he was again persuaded to take
some food. The following day the father kayaked the
same way past the cape, and came in sight of the tents,
with the people at work outside them. He paddled quite
close to the beach and cried out, "If ye remain in this
neighbourhood I and my son Ernersiak won't fail to
despatch the whole of you ; but I have heard of plenty
good hunting away to the north, and I will encourage
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350 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
him to go thither." After this speech he returned, and
did not fail to tell his son the exciting report, and found
him very anxious to try that place. In the spring they
left their old quarters, and travelled northwards the
whole summer-time. Just as the frost was beginning to
harden the earth a little, they got to a place with many
tents, and being hailed from land to put in there, they
went ashore accordingly. They were very civilly re-
ceived, and were not allowed to trouble themselves
about their luggage ; the inhabitants of the place un-
loaded and carried it all up for them. It happened that
Ernersiak being somewhat fatigued with kayaking, had
seated himself in the boat for a rest ; and on finding his
tools and weapons so heavy that they had to carry them
on their shoulders, the people remarked, that he was not
likely ever to have more use for them. The foster-
father overhearing their talk, in the evening repeated it
to Ernersiak, who, tickled at the idea, burst out laugh-
ing. This was his first mirth since the murder. In this
place they passed the winter. One morning, on coming
outside, Ernersiak was astonished not to see any one
about the houses as usual ; but on glancing round he
observed them standing on a hilltop looking out upon
the sea. When he had joined them, they enlightened
him as to the reason, saying, " We are watching the red
walrus." Ernersiak, on seeing the ocean all a foam,
hastened down to his kayak, and set off towards them.
He soon detected a large walrus, comparatively quiet
When he came close to it, the animal lifted its head
above the surface, and holding back its breath quietly
regarded him ; but when it had come quite close, it
tossed back its head, blew a great puff of air at him, and
rushed towards him, while he kept steadily moving in
upon it. About the distance of an arrow-shot, he aimed
his weapon at it, and when the animal bent down and
curved its back, he lanced and thrust, instantly de-
spatching it. Having towed it ashore, he went back
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 351
to catch one more before he landed for good himself.
Towards spring they again prepared to go south, but
their hosts invited them to come back and pass the
winter with them. They thanked them very kindly,
but being once more in the south, they stopped, and
never afterwards visited the north.
63.
THE OLD SOUTHLANDER.
IN days of yore there was an old man who lived down
south with his only son, a very dexterous and able
sportsman, in the country near Agdluitsok (South Green-
land). When this son was able to supply their wants,
the father left everything to his care, and for his part
lived only to eat and sleep. One day the son did not
return as usual in the evening. It was the season for
the large hooded seals (bladder-nose Cystophora cristata\
and the father thought he was lost. In sight of his
abode was a plain with many tents, the inhabitants of
which consisted partly of a number of brothers, among
whom there was one of great fame. There also was a
cousin of the old man living there ; and whilst the latter
was bewailing and mourning the loss of his son, this
cousin came to see him, and informed him that his son
had been put to death, and that the middlemost among
the brothers was the transgressor. The old man was
greatly enraged at this intelligence. That same spring
he secured a large piece of driftwood, which he cut up
and wrought out of it various heavy tools, such as a
harpoon and a lance. He also provided himself with a
new bladder. From that time he resumed allliis former
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352 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
habits — going out kayaking, always hoping to find an
opportunity to avenge his son. One morning early, he
went off to one of the hunting-grounds farthest out at
sea. After a while he came back inside the reefs, and
on approaching the shore encountered a kayaker tow-
ing a. seal and making for the land. This was the
murderer of his son. Keeping right in the sunlight, he
looked carefully about to see if they were alone ; and
having first made sure of his man, who did not detect
him, being blinded by the sun, he suddenly rushed in
upon him, and, lifting his weapon, gave him the death-
stroke. He towed him towards land ; but on seeing
an iceberg driven up on the rocks by the tide, he made
him fast to this; and leaving him there, pursued his
way landwards to let his brothers know what had hap-
pened. They were all at home, and his cousin was
among them. They were sitting in the open air outside
their tents, when they suddenly beheld him paddling in
with unwonted speed. He stopped short, and called
aloud to those on shore, *' Since your brother wanted to
get rid. of his life, I have done away with it" He then
turned quickly away, and made for his own abode.
They all stood gazing wonderingly at him while he was
making such way through the rushing waters, all foam-
ing about him. Then the brothers began to cry, and
prepared to fetch home their dead. They found him
awfully massacred. But the old man again ceased
kayaking and hunting from the time he had killed the
murderer. Whilst he still had his tent pitched along-
side of his winter-house, his cousin one day came to tell
him that the brothers had been calling several relatives
together with a view to attacking him in company.
When he heard this, he employed himself in making a
great supply of arrows, but otherwise remained quietly
at his place, not leaving home at all. One day he
espied the long-expected kayakers crossing the bay to
attack him in his loneliness. He went to fetch his
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 353
bow; and, dividing his arrows into three portions, he
brought each portion down to a different little point on
the beach. Having thus prepared for them, he stood
awaiting his enemies with no other arms than his bow.
One of the men was just making ready to jump ashore
when the old man, perceiving it in time, came running
on to the nearest point, and pulling out one of his
arrows, aimed at him, whereat the other retreated.
Another now tried to land on the second cape, but the
old man as quickly reached it, and had his bow ready
bent for him. At the third point they fared no better;
and becoming awed by his great expertness, they soon
retreated. Subsequently he was again informed of an
intended attack, and that they were coming in still
greater number ; but he said, " They may come when-
ever they please ; this time I am not even going to use
any weapons; I only intend to show my face." His
tent, they say, lay just above the water-mark. The
tide happened to be full ; and there he sat within sing-
ing a magic song to have his face enlarged ; and as he
sang, it grew in size, but he went on until it fairly
resembled the full moon. He then went out into the
front part of the tent, hiding himself among the skin-
curtains. At this time one of the men had just got out
of his kayak, and prepared to enter ; but turning round,
he started at seeing the terrible face which the old man
poked out towards him through the entrance. "A
face ! a face ! " was all he could utter in his terror ; and
almost capsizing his kayak, he put about, and quickly
rowed away. Another was now ready to enter, but met
the same face ; and merely by showing his face, Jie
succeeded in keeping them all off, and was attacked no
more. When they were all gone, he sang a counter-
acting lay to get his face to its proper shape againi
Next spring, he heard that his enemies, in company
with some others, were chasing spotted seals. He now
made himself a couple of very large bladder-arrows ;
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354 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
and one fine day kayaked away to have a look at them.
Before long he heard them shouting ; and catching sight
of them, he rowed right in amidst them. The foremost
of them had just flung his arrow at a seal, but on thus
suddenly beholding the old man with his tremendous
arrow, both he and his companions were startled ; and
whilst they all sat staring at him, the wounded seal dived
up in front of the old man's kayak. He darted on to
pierce it with his two big arrows ; and tearing out the
first one, he threw it contemptuously to the owner.
With one hand he lifted the seal upon the kayak behind
him, and left his enemies in utter amazement. They
never afterwards ventured to attack one who, notwith-
standing his great age, had such strength and vigour
left. The old man at length died in peace without being
killed or even wounded.
64.
NAUJARSUAK AND KUKAJAK.
[A tale from South Greenland.]
NAUJARSUAK and Kukajak were friends, and both
skilled hunters. They lived apart; but being
very fond of each other, they were often together. In
spring, when the first seals had made their appearance,
they used to bring full-loaded boats with dried meat to
their storehouses. Once Kukajak happened to have
put by a greater store than his friend, and this made
Naujarsuak jealous. Kukajak used to go away deer-
hunting in the spring, and did the same that summer ;
and on his way home in the autumn, he was as usual to
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pass by his store-places on the coast, and take out some
dried seal-meat ibr a welcome feast at home. He was
longing greatly for some dried seal-flesh himself. But
on arriving at his stores, he found that the foxes had
been there beforehand, and had left nothing for him.
On a close examination, he found out that some one
had been making little holes in the stone coverings, just
large enough for a fox to pass through. He got ex-
tremely vexed ; and at home he learned that Naujarsuak
had made the holes during his absence. At this intel-
ligence he became still more angry ; but nevertheless he
could not help longing for his friend ; and he started on
a visit to him the day after. Naujarsuak, in ' his turn,
was longing as much to see Kukajak ; and as soon as
the other had arrived, he hastened to draw his kayak
on land, and take him to his house. During the meal,
Kukajak carelessly observed, " I also had a small por-
tion of dried meat put by, but the foxes have carried it
all off, which has never happened to me before." Nau-
jarsuak remarked, "Thou hast been wrong in coming
so late to look after thy stores." At this speech Ku-
kajak got inwardly enraged. Having passed the night
beneath his friend's roof, he, as usual, invited him to
accompany him home to have some dried reindeer-flesh.
While they were thus talking, they saw from land some
kayakers stopping outside, lying in wait for seals, when,
all of a sudden, Kukajak came upon his friend from
behind, and sent his harpoon right through him. The
little son of Naujarsuak was standing on the beach, and
saw his father being killed, while Kukajak called out,
" I paid him back, because he spoiled my stores," and
then turned his back upon them, and rowed home.
The old father of Naujarsuak now took away the corpse
of his son, and had it buried ; and when the usual days
of mourning had gone by, he accosted the little one
thus — " Now thou hast seen thy fathgr killed, it will not
do for thee to grow up in idleness." He then resolved
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3S6 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
to leave his place, where he was continually reminded
of his lost son. They travelled on to.Amerdlok (the
present Holsteinsborg), where they established them-
selves for the winter. Here the boy grew up under the
constant care and unceasing admonitions of his grand-
father; and he was never seen to smile. While they
were still at Amerdlok, he grew to manhood, assisted
at the whale-fishing, and turned out an able and expert
kayaker. Under these circumstances, the old man
advised him to go southwards and revenge himself on
Kukajak, if he were still alive ; and during this last
winter he carefully secured the whalebones whenever a
whale was caught, knowing them to be a rare article,
much in request in the south. When the first thaw set
in, they started ; and at every place they passed by,
they inquired, " Have ye heard nothing of Kukajak ? "
but invariably the answer was, "No; we don't know
him." Far away south, however, they met some people
who told them — " Kukajak ! ah, yes ; he is all right !
but getting rather old now, and has taken to frog-
fishing." At length they reached their former home,
and settled there for good. All their relatives imme-
diately came to see them after their long absence ; and
on leaving they presented them with some of the longest
and best whalebones. They had many unexpected
visitors, some of whom only came in the hope of
getting their share of whalebones, which were well
known to be desired for gifts. As time wore on, they
had to change their tent for a winter hut ; but as yet
Naujarsuak*s son had had no opportunity of avenging
the murder of his father. He one day requested his
grandfather to make him a very big harpoon, with a
strong line to match. The grandfather got it ready for
him the very next day ; and, regarding it with great
satisfaction, the son smiled, and thanked him, and con-
cealed it carefully beneath the ledge. Some time after,
Kukajak took a great fancy to go and ask the son of
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 35/
his betrayed friend for a piece of whalebone for his
fishing-line, but on further consideration gave up the
idea, fearing that he might bring down vengeance upon
himself if he carried it out However, the people there-
about were always telling him of the gifts they had
received, saying, " If thou goest, thou wilt be sure to
get some too : it was only the other day the old man
said that he longed much to see thee." On hearing this,
he could resist no longer, and started the very next day.
He got a friendly welcome, and was beginning to think
" they had forgotten all about the murder." A plentiful
repast was soon served up before him ; and the talk went
merrily round all the evening ; but somehow, whenever
there was a short silence, he always thought, "there,
now, it all returns to them." At daybreak the follow-
ing morning, when Naujarsuak's son went outside the
house, the thought struck him it was just on such a day
that his father was killed. The air was soft, and light
clouds appeared and passed by overhead. At this his
former wrath awoke with full force ; but on entering the
house, he looked quite guileless. At Kukajak's depar-
ture, he also was presented with whalebones. Still he
apprehended some evil, and kept glancing back to be
sure that he was not pursued; and thus he succeeded
in getting a considerable way off. Now, however, was
the time for Naujarsuak's son to make use of his new
weapon. He took the bone-point which his grandfather
had made, brought it down, and fixed it with a loud
jerk. Kukajak heard the sound, and recognised the
meaning (viz., charm) of it ; and seeing his enemy in
full pursuit, he hastened on as quickly as he could, but
found his strength fast failing. Perceiving this, his
enemy pursued him more slowly ; and Kukajak began
thinking that he might reach home unharmed. At that
moment, however, his adversary again darted on, and,
just outside his own house, took aim, and sent his lance
with a great crash into Kukajak's body. The son of
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35 8 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Naujarsuak now turned to the bystanders, saying, "I
saw him treat my father in the same way ; and I have
only paid him back ; if ye care for his corpse, ye may
take it." Having finished this speech, he left for home ;
and from that day his father was not always in his
thought, though he never quite forgot him.
65.
THE TWO FRIENDS RESCUED BY THE
BENEVOLENT INGNERSUIT.
ONE widow lived all alone with her son at a winter
station ; and a little more to the south another
widow, also with an only son, had her residence. The
young men were fast friends, and used to go out kayak-
ing and perform their several tasks in company. But
one morning the one who was to the north seeing the
clear bright sky and a light breeze from the east,
resolved on going to the hunting-place by himself, with-
out waiting his friend's arrival. After he had been on
the hunting-ground for some time, he suddenly heard a
noise from the sunny side of the bay, and, turning round,
he saw his friend with gloomy looks and hand uplifted,
about to throw his harpoon at him. Having no other
choice, he kept his look steadily fixed on him ; and the
moment the harpoon came flying towards him, he upset
himself, kayak and all, so that the weapon touched the
edge of the kayak, and fell splashing into the water
beside him, after which he again rose by means of his
paddle. The other now proceeded to coil up his har-
poon-line ; and without further reference to the matter,
the friends as usual remained together, catching their
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 359
seals, and speaking pleasantly to each other on the way
home. Still he kept an eye upon his companion, but
did not find anything to rouse his suspicion. Another
time he again left home without waiting the arrival of
his friend, and the same thing happened. After a third
similar attempt, however, he resolved to revenge him-
self. He did so in the following way : As soon as he
rose above water after having capsized his kayak as
before, he' aimed his harpoon at his friend, who, how-
ever, averted the danger by likewise upsetting himself;
but before he was able to get his kayak righted, the
other was by his side and kept him from rising by run-
ning the point of his own kayak right across the one
that lay bottom upwards. After having killed his friend
in this manner, he rowed towards land ; but before he
reached the first islets, he noticed the water coming fast
into his kayak. He pulled as quickly as possible, but
all in vain, and was only kept above water by means of
the bladder. He then happily remembered that he was
himself an angakok, and that he had several tornaks
(guardian spirits) among the ingnersuit (under-world
people). No sooner had he called them than he saw
three kayakers coming straight towards him. Two of
the strangers put their paddles, one from each side, into
the sinking kayak to hold it up ; and, at the same time,
the third mended the kayak as well as possible, by
filling the leak with blubber, and hastened to give the
drowning man his dry breeches to put on. He was now
again placed in his kayak, to which they made fast their
seals, all strung together in a long row ; and they told
him to tug them along, that he might get warm. He
rowed in front, and they closely followed him with the
greatest speed. They came to a high island, with only
one house; there they landed, and at once entered.
When they had seated themselves, he saw the master of
the house, a man so very old that his wrinkled skin was
hanging, and almost hiding his eyes ; but the old man
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360 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
pushed k aside a little, and then looked at the new-
comers. Presently some one called out that two kay-
akers were approaching, tugging seals along with them.
Those whose business it was to bring them up to the
house soon returned with hauling-thongs, ornamented
with fittings of bright walrus-bone ; and then followed
the seal-hunters themselves. On entering the house,
they accosted their brothers, and reproached them, say-
ing, "Why were ye not quicker in giving him your
assistance before he got to be so cold i " but they
answered, "He did not call for our aid till then."
They now ordered the women to bring some dry meat.
After the meal, the old man moved aside the wrinkled
skin from off his eyes, gave a look out of the window,
and said, " Go and call our other relatives ; " upon which
the youngest immediately went away, and after some
time came back covered with sweat. The stranger on
seeing him reflected, " Where can he have been, since
no house seems to be near ? " and soon after five other
brothers, much like his hosts, and also accompanied by
an old man, entered the house. There was also another
man, who turned out to be his former friend a-nd com-
panion, whom he had killed in his kayak. He sat down
right opposite, and hardly dared to look up. When they
had had their meal, the eldest brother brought out a
skin, spread it on the floor, and first tried a wrestling-
match with his own brothers, and afterwards with the
visitors ; but no one was able to hold his own against
him. The master of the house now challenged the
other old man, who, however, had to give in to him.
Having thus been vanquished and put to shame, the
strangers prepared to leave their hosts ; these reproved
them sharply for their former behaviour, and told them
henceforth to give up quarrelling, and be friends again.
When the rest had all withdrawn, the stranger who had
been saved remained five days longer ; but on the sixth
he left. On passing his usual hunting-place, he encoun-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 36 1
tered his friend, who had been restored to life in the
same manner as himself, and they spoke to each other.
It so happened that they were both angakut, and that
each of them had his tornaks among the ingnersuit.
From this time they were quite reconciled.
66.
THE STRONG MAN ON THE ISLAND
OF K'ERKA.
A LITTLE north of Pamiut (Frederikshaab) there
is an island called K'erka. In olden times there
lived on this islet a man who had no equal in kayaking.
His paddle was so thick that he had to cut it narrower
where it was to be grasped. He was alone in this place.
Once in the winter time, when he was far out on the
open sea, he was suddenly caught in a furious gale from
the north. He tried hard to make the land, but the
coast had altogether vanished in the tempest. At length,
however, he knew by the great breakers that he must
be right off Tulugartalik (close to the large glacier) ;
and having passed those isles, land soon appeared ahead,
and he observed a light from a window on shore. Land-
ing his kayak, he went up towards the house, and stopped
short on hearing some one singing within. After listen-
ing for a while, he found that he had unawares landed
on Ukevik, the homestead of his adversary, who hap-
pened to be practising a nith-song (satirical song), with
which to abuse him when they met in the spring. He
took great care to impress the exact words on his
memory, and then went silently down to his kayak,
leaving the place in the dark ; and having again crossed
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362 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the heavy surf about Tulugartalik, he reached his own
home. The following spring, his adversary came from
Ukevik to have a singing match with him ; but as he
had well remembered, and knew all the taunts and
spiteful things beforehand, he soon gained an easy
victory over him. The lonely resident of K'erka also
had some enemies among the southern people. During
the summer, when he was one day out at sea kayaking
in fine calm weather, he noticed some kayakers coming
from the south, and from their numbers guessed they
were his enemies coming to attack him. On this sur-
mise he fled towards the shore, with the rest in full
pursuit after him ; but reaching a large iceberg, he
happened to observe a great cave on the opposite side
of it, and quickly glided in, kayak and all. The prow
turned outwards; and, holding his lance ready lifted,
he lay in wait for his enemies. When the first man came
up in front of the cave, he speared him, at once drawing
his lance back ; the second of them met the same fate ;
and all the others fared alike, excepting two, whom
he left alive that they might inform their countrymen
of what had happened. All those Southlanders had
intended to kill their foe, but happened to be killed
themselves instead.
67.
NIAKUNGUAK.
A NUMBER of brothers always used to have their
fixed winter quarters at a certain place, while
several of the older ones were married. Niakunguak,
one of the younger brothers, had as yet no wife. His dis-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 363
position differed greatly from the others, who were all
wild and boisterous. He would never join in any of
their noisy pastimes and wanton tricks, although they
tried to persuade him to do so. At last he got so weary
of their company, that he would stay with them no
longer. One morning he did not join them in their
day's excursion, but as soon as they were well off,
betook himself to his kayak, put out from land, and
coasted away south. He travelled on for many days
without seeing a human being ; and he had fairly given
up the hope of falling in with any, when suddenly he
was hailed from shore, and at the same time discovered
a little bay with many tents pitched round it, and
people shouting to him to land. When he reached the
beach, he was received by a crowd of men, who wel-
comed him very civilly, although he did not know any
one of them. An old man now invited him to come to
his tent. There were only his two daughters inside, but
before long it was crowded with visitors, who were all
very friendly and pleasant. The visitors having left,
the old man said, "In case thou wouldst like one of my
daughters, thou mayst choose for thyself" He took
the youngest for his wife, and henceforth became the
support and provider of the old man. The people there
got very fond of him, and liked him for his great
modesty ; and he, too, felt very happy amongst them.
When they assembled for social intercourse, boasting
was not heard, nor boisterous manners displayed. When
the days lengthened, and seals got scarce, Niakunguak
chose his hunting-place at a good distance out. His
wife in the meantime had borne him a son ; and during
his childhood a boat's crew of Southlanders arrived and
took up their winter abode among them. It soon ap-
peared that one of the strangers was presumptuous and
full of conceit, though Niakunguak in his hiodesty felt
loath to contradict him. One morning after the winter
solstice, when the cold was very severe, Niakunguak
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364 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
was the only man of the place who thought of starting.
The bragging stranger, on seeing this, offered to go
with him ; and both put out to sea in quest of seals.
Meantime the wind increased ; but Niakunguak, nothing
daunted, lanced his seal, hoping that his companion
would come and help him to kill the animal. However,
he showed no such intention, but had already turned
homewards, frightened at the fury of the gale. Niakun-
guak made his seal fast to the tug-line, but did not
return till he had got another. Meantime his com-
panion had gained the shore, where Niakunguak's little
son was standing on the beach gazing out upon the
heaving sea, on the look-out for his father. The boy at
once inquired about his father, having seen them go out
together ; but the other one answered, " Thou mayst as
well go home ; thy silly father will never return ; there
is no kayaking in such weather." The boy entered the
house, and there kept tranquil and silent — he was
already of an age to understand the ways of mourning
— but the other men still kept outside the house on the
look-out for Niakunguak's kayak. The opening of the
bay was a very narrow one, and consequently a mass of
foaming surf. Towards evening they espied two little
black spots upon the white foam ; these were his seals
with the spears still sticking in them, and tossed along
by the breakers setting in upon the shore. A third
black spot on the surf appeared to be himself, carried
quickly on across the heavy seas. Having got on shore
and reached his house, his son told him what the other
man had said — that no kayak could live in such a sea ;
and the father replied, " In such a sea and such weather
one might go out even in a very poor kayak." When
the briskets were boiled, the men were invited to partake
of the meal ; and when the dish was ready served, and
the guests all assembled, Niakungilak during a pause
remarked, " When I had harpooijed my second seal, I
looked about in vain for a kayaker to assist me in
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 365
securing it." Later on the guests grew talkative, and
all passed the evening pleasantly, excepting his com-
panion of the morning, who never spoke a word. When
the days grew still longer, and there were no seals to be
had, the men entertained themselves with ball-playing.
Once there was a general calling for Niakunguak to
come and join the ball - players. Though not dis-
posed to do so, he at once obeyed their summons, but
only went to look on at some distance. While occupied
in watching the ball-players, and standing modestly
with one arm drawn out of the sleeve of his jacket, the
other kayaker owing him a grudge now approached, and
threw him down. While Niakunguak was rising and
shaking the snow from his garments, the men gathered
round him, saying, "Is Niakunguak going to stand
this ? " On hearing this, his antagonist seized hold of
Niakunguak, who, seeking no strife, only tried to keep
his footing ; but finding that the other would not let go
his grasp, he was forced to defend himself, and a struggle
ensued, ending in favour of Niakunguak, who soon got
the better of his adversary, and hurled him to the ground
with such force that his bowels burst, and the blood
gushed from his mouth. His brothers instantly left off
playing, and brought him into the house, where he soon
expired. Niakunguak had now, much against his will,
made himself enemies ; and he told his young son that
he ought to mind this, and train himself to endure hard-
ships that he might attain strength and^vigour. He
should no longer practise lifting and flinging stones,
but should try to pull up shrubs and bushes by the root.
Afterwards he taught him everything belonging to
kayaking. Before long he came to be his father's equal
every way, and even in the roughest weather chased the
seal far out seawards. Once another party of South-
landers arrived,, and-among them were two sons of the
man whom Niakunguak had formerly killed. They
also had been reared to manly exercise in order to pro-
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366 TALES AND TRADITIONS,
mote their strength. The strangers were polite and
friendly enough, and chose to settle with them for the
winter. The equinoctial gales proved very strong that
autumn, with much bad weather ; and often no kayak-
ing was possible. On such a day Niakunguak with his
son and other housemates was invited to the foreigners.
They were well received, and afterwards regaled with
many dainties ; and there was no want of lively talking
at the meal. At last there was silence; and during
this, one of the two brothers stood forth, and, taking a
bit of dried liver (this being exceedingly hard), raised
his voice, saying, " I have been told that I have an
enemy in Niakunguak." At the same time he tried to
crush the piece of liver he held in his hand ; but failing
to do so, he again put it by. Silence still prevailed,
when Niakunguak's son advanced, and, taking up the
same bit, crushed it to atoms with his fingers, so that it
fell like dust upon the floor. All were utterly amazed,
and not a word was spoken. Niakunguak and his rela-
tions still felt some suspicion of their enemies ; but these
departed peaceably as soon as spring came on ; and
henceforth the Niakunguaks remained undisturbed until
their death.
68.
AUGPILAGTOK.
AUGPILAGTOK, who was living in the southern
part of the country, chanced to hear that Kangek
(pron. Kanghek — at the firth of Godthaab) was an ex-
cellent place for seal-hunting. He accordingly started
for it ; but the autumn set in, and the ground was hard
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with frost before he arrived ; so on coming across an
old deserted house at Ikarisat, not far from Kangek, he
decided to stop there, and set about preparing an abode
for the winter. At first he had fair hunting ; so ipuch
was he able to store up, that it might have been thought
the seals came to his house of their own accord. Heavy
northern gales were blowing, and the fall of snow was
so great that he was forced to take his store of seals into
the house, and live entirely upon them. At last, how-
ever, they were finished. The weather was getting
calmer, but the sea was still covered with ice. In these
circumstances he made himself a small harpoon for
hunting on the ice, but first went out to reconnoitre, and
find out the breathing-holes of the seals. The first day
he roamed all around the bay Ameralik without find-
ing one opening in the ice. The next he tried Kapi-
silik, but also in vain. The third day, having had the
same bad luck at Kangersunek, and having nothing to
eat, he set to whetting his knife in the evening. He
had a dog with drooping ears, and his knife was in-
tended for this poor animal. He killed it, and cut a
piece from the loin, which he ate raw, skin and all, only
scraping off the hairs ; and when the rest had been
boiled he again ate with a hearty appetite. The follow-
ing day he remained in the house. On the next he
climbed the highest mountains to survey the neigh-
bourhood, and discovered an opening in the ice, not far
from his dwelling-place, but it was then too late to start.
The following morning he set off, carrying his kayak on
his head as far as the water's edge. Having rowed for
some time along the margin of the ice, he unexpectedly
detected a number of huts ; and the beach was also red
with blood from sea-animals which had been killed.
He pulled away ; and on arriving had a friendly wel-
come from the inmates, who asked him to their huts.
This place was that Kangek which, for want of better
knowledge of the locality, he had not been able to reach
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368 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
before the winter overtook him. In ascending the beach
he saw the frozen entrails of some auks thrown out upon
the dunghill, and not till he had swallowed some of
these could they get him to go inside, where he soon got
a proper meal, and had his kayak filled with stores for
his departure. A short time after this he removed with
all his household to Kangek. Every day he alternately
went out seal-hunting and spearing birds ; and during^
this period his little son was provided with a kayak of
his own. When auk-hunting his father told him, " When
thou goest out for auks and I am not with thee, thou
needest not look so much for my kayak, but be watch-
ful of the others ; there are' those among them whom it
would be no joke to disturb while they are busy at their
hunt." One day, however, when they had gone out to-
gether after birds, Augpilagtok had got to a little dis-
tance from his son. Suddenly he heard angry voices,
and turning round saw the small kayak surrounded by
the other men. Augpilagtok, who at once suspected
something wrong, quickly produced his amulet from
out the edging of his jacket, and hiding it inside his
mouth rowed on as fast as possible. Having reached
them he tossed up the amulet, saying, " Whomsoever ! "
at which one was instantly overturned, then a second,
then a third, and so on, till all were drowned ex-
cepting himself and his son, who returned home to-
gether. Not feeling secure in this place any longer,
they removed farther north to Antangmik in the spring.
During their stay there the father recommended the
son to exert himself to grow a match for his enemies,
from whom they might expect an assault some day or
other. The son soon became a first-rate kayaker, and
chased the sea-animals at the remotest places. On his
excursions he was often accompanied by the middle-
most of several brothers living at the same settlement.
One day when he thought himself quite alone, he was
surprised to hear a sound like that of an approaching
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 369
kayak, and turning round he saw with some amazement
his usual companion- deliberately aiming at him with
his harpoon. He narrowly escaped by overturning his
kayak ; and when he rose again the other said it was
only in fun, although it had been an attempt on his life
in good earnest At home he told his father of this oc-
currence, but he advised him to take no notice of it, lest
he should stir up more foes for himself. The next day
the same thing happened, and he barely escaped. The
third time he resolved to revenge himself, and killed his
antagonist. After the deed he returned home, having
first put the seal on his kayak, but turned tail foremost.
By this sign his father at once knew what had hap-
pened; but the brothers of the deceased, who were
standing outside the house-door, thought he had placed
it the wrong way to ease the kayak while rowing
against the wind. Augpilagtok's son on landing said,
" I have put it thus because it was the next one after a
man ; he thrice attempted my life, and was in the act of
killing me ; if ye are longing for him ye may go and
look for him." At this news they all began to cry, and
entered the house, to observe the usual mourning cere-
monies. After this the youth became cautious, and
never started except when the weather was too bad for
the others to venture out Once in the spring he was
invited with his father to visit the brothers. Augpilag-
tok said to his son, " We may as well make a bold en-
trance, and I will go first, and take a good leap across
the doorway, right to the entrance of the room." They
thus entered, and saw all the brothers stretched out at
full length on the ledge, only their feet visible on its outer
edge (a sign of wrath). They were treated to some
frozen liver in an oblong dish ; but when they had got
only half through with it, the frozen roof fell in and
covered the dish with turf-dust The eldest brother
now said, " When the roof falls down like this^ it only
can be by sorcery. The Southlanders are rather deep.
2 A r.. ■■ .u
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370 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
and know a thing or two ; we had better leave them
alone." Augpilagtok now said to his son, " Slip off thy
clothes ; " and taking a knife cut up his belly. But
when the entrails began to fall out, he merely drew his
hand across the cut, and instantly it healed. Some time
after they once more repaired to the south.
69.
THE ANGAKOK ATAITSIAK PRACTISING HIS ART
WITH THE BENEVOLENT INGNERSUIT.
ATAITSIAK was a very celebrated angakok, who
had his hunting-place close to his abode, and he
used to frequent it all by himself. If he ever wanted
company he used to invoke some of his tomaks be-
longing to the ingnersuit, and they always came at
his call. One day he had just harpooned a seal, and
was about to slacken the line, when suddenly the seal
gave a pull which capsized his kayak, throwing him
headlong out of it ; and he could barely keep his head
above the water by taking hold of the line. It was not
till he began to grow stiff with cold that he thought of
calling his tornaks. No sooner had he done so than
they appeared, coming from the shore in their kayaks.
The foremost called out to the others, " Quick, or he
may be drawn down ; make haste ! " When the first was
taking hold of his kayak he perceived that he was al-
ready lifted up, and when the others came up he saw
that the kayak was emptied of the sea-water, whilst
others supported his weak limbs. They then replaced
him in his kayak, giving him dry warm clothes. Being
well propped up, he noticed that his seal and kayak
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 37 1
were being towed along by the others, and that they
carried him out seawards. They soon saw a great new
land, and the oldest said, " Take care that the blood of
the seal does not drop to earth ; for in that case he will
never see his home again." When they were near enough
to hear what was said ashore, they heard people cry that
a dolphin was probably caught ; to which they answered,
that they were only bringing their old angakok. Hav-
ing got him inside, all the lamps were lighted. They
first laid hini naked down on the floor, and covered him
well up ; and after a while he again recovered his lost
senses, and began to walk. In the evening they served
all kind of victuals before him. During the meal he
noticed a poor young man, who was very ill, lying down
on the ledge. The oldest among them said, " A most dis-
tressing case with the lad yonder ; he is failing fast
When he chased the reindeer in the autumn we feasted
and were well off; he was equally clever at stalking
deer and chasing white whales ; and even in the worst
season was always lucky ; will you examine his case to-
night ? there must be something particular the matter
with him, preventing his recovery." He said he would
fain do it ; but as he was going to set about it, he noticed
the sick man's aunt (viz., her soul or ghost, she being a
witch) going close up to him in order to touch him. On
seeing this he said, " It would be an easy matter, and
he would look to it the day after." When he began his
conjurations the following night he saw the woman ap-
proaching still nearer to the sick youth, and then said,
" In the practice of my art I must speak the truth ;. it is
the woman there that does him the mischief." They
cried with one voice, "Take her, do take her away."
But Ataitsiak replied, " I must first question her." The
base woman now explained, "Whenever he returned
from the hunt, he used to supply me abundantly with
sundry good things ; but the last time he was out,
though he brought home deer as well as. dolphins, and
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372 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
I was in the highest expectation, he never gave me a
bit. From that day I determined to blast and wither
him, and but for thee I would have touched him now."
AtaitsiaM turned to the others, saying, " If you really
want the young man to recover I must slay her ; but
mind you hold the harpoon-strings fast." He was about
to hit her, but as long as she looked at him he could not
conquer her. As soon, however, as she turned to the
wall, he thrust at her, and a loud cracking noise ensued ;
but she, having watched him sharply, as soon as he
moved, let herself down beneath the floor, and the har-
poon only caught the sole of her foot She went drag-
ging the line down with her, so that the men with all
their strength could hardly stop her. One after another
they let go their hold. At last there was only one man
at the line when Ataitsiak was happily in time to help
him ; and catching hold of a bit of bone, made fast to
the line, he entirely stopped it. After a while he said,
" Now go and see how his aunt is." She lived in a little
house close by. They returned and reported that she
lay on her couch with a bleeding foot On the ensuing
morning Ataitsiak went back to his home loaded with
gifts. His family had not as yet given him up, being
assured he would return before the three days were over.
One day, at a later period, when he happened to be out
in his hunting-ground, a great many kayakers were seen
approaching, and first among them was the sick young
man whom he had restored to health, bringing many
gifts for Ataitsiak, and at the same time reporting that
his aunt, the base old hag, had died.
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70.
THE STRONG MAN ON UMANAK.
ON the isle of Umanak in the Isortok firth (South
Greenland) lived a very strong man, besides a
great many other people. He gained great feme from
his extraordinary strength, and was likewise considered
a first-rate hunter and skilled angakok. He was in
fact a principal provider for the whole place, and their
angakok into the bargain. He used to take his little
son on his knee when conjuring, in order to teach him
his art. The people themselves had no lack of good
hunting off the coast in the autumn season ; but after
the winter solstice the angakok used to roam about on
the open sea all by himself, and when he had caught a
couple of big seals, he used to put them upon his kayak,
one in front and the other behind (viz., instead of tow-
ing them), making them fast with his harpoon - line.
Before the sun had gone round to the west he was sure
to have reached home with his two seals ; and then lost
no time in ordering the women to cook the briskets.
When the meal was served, the men sat down to it, and
generally the. angakok started the conversation by say-
ing, " I was again ca^ught in a heavy snowstorm from the
north." This seemed very strange, for on shore the wea-
ther had been fine, and far away seawards only a small
mist-band had teen noticed. Being a man of such rare
qualities, he naturally wished his son to come up to his
own standard, and carefully trained him with this view.
When full grown the son also would go far out to sea
in all weathers, and bring big seals home with him.
From that time the father grew quite easy about him,
and occasionally remained at home himself, though per-
fectly hale and hearty. Once in the long days the son
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374 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
had started by himself, and at night the father in vain
expected his return. The next morning at daybreak
he set out in search of him. When so far from land
that the southern islands looked quite dim and shadowy,
he heard a voice calling out " Eek ! " On hearing this
strange voice, which he soon knew did not belong to any
of his countrymen, he hastened on southwards, steering
towards the sun ; and in a little while he suddenly stop-
ped short, again hearing a voice shouting " Where } "
Soon after he came in sight of an immense kayak, and on
nearing it found it to be a kayariak (fabulous kayaker).
The huge kayaker had a paddle with only one blade,
which he plied vigorously by shifting it alternately from
one side of the kayak to the other. Approaching him
from behind, he discovered one of his son's arms lashed
on to the after-part of the kayariak. At this sight he
got into such a rage that he instantly darted his harpoon
and killed the kayaker. Having drawn out the harpoon,
whose point was the length of half an arm,'he kayaked still
further along, until he heard the former cry repeated. He
answered it, and continuing his way soon fell in with an-
other kayaker, who carried the second arm of his son, aft
on his kayak. Having killed him also, he stood out to sea,
till the high mountains of his own country were almost
lost to sight. He again heard a deep rough voice, be-
longing to a similar kayaker, who was the father of the
two he had already killed. The weather being calm,
with a swell from the south-west, he put in his oar,
and having secured it by means of the kayak -line,
drifted along, steering only with his hands. Approach-
ing the great kayaker thus, he discovered his son's body
behind him on his kayak. He did not throw his lance,
but rowed right in upon him, and kept alongside of him
by hooking his oar into the stranger's kayak-straps.
This somewhat startled the former, and he was heard
to exclaim, " Where are those whom I am seeking.?" and
then the angakok understood of whom he wa§ speaking.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 375
Turning landwards, they soon fell in with one kayak,
floating bottom up. The angakok now inquired, " Canst
thou revive him there ? " To this the kayariak rejoined,
*' Why, yes, I could ; " and lifting the wounded man up
he merely touched him, and brought him to life again.
Then they reached the next, and the father did the same
to him. Being now four in number, the angakok went
on, " Perhaps ye would not mind making him alive too
whom ye have got there on your kayak. The other re-
plied, ** It might be done if a fitting place can be found
to manage it properly." On reaching a piece of floating
ice they landed upon it, and when the kayariak had
joined the severed limbs together, and had revived him
that had been slain, the father said, " What is to be
done next ? he has got no kayak ; can't we have the
loan of one of those ? " " Well, take it, but be sure ye
bring it back immediately, and when ye land do not let
any one look into it." The angakok now returned with
his son, who found his kayak such a size that he went
down into it to the pit of his arms. On reaching land
he cried out that no one must look down into the big
kayak. But one unbeliever among their placemates did
so, in consequence of which the son of the angakok who
had made use of it grew lame in his legs. The unbe-
liever also was found close by, having been frightened
to death at something he had seen inside the big kayak.
Meantime the angakok brought the kayak back to the
big man, who stood waiting for him on the ice. The
sons now both descended into their kayaks, but the
father remained a while, and first took a general view of
the whole horizon, and then producing a small pipe he
had hidden in his own boat, he blew it successively to-
wards the four quarters of the horizon, and then repaired
to his boat. When the angakok left them the weather
was fine and calm, but he was hardly off before clouds
arose, the sky became overcast, and all of a sudden a
heavy gale was blowing. The wind rushing on from dif-
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376 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
ferent quarters almost prevented his making the land.
However, he went ahead undauntedly, having a first-
rate kayak covered with skins, joined together length-
ways. When the storm abated, and the stars again
shone out, a high land became visible, which he recog-
nised to be Akilinek, on the shore opposite his own.
He was again caught in a tempest ; but this having also
subsided, he landed at the southernmost point of our
country (Cape Farewell), and finally reached his own
home, where his family had long believed him dead.
71.
KIGUTIKAK WHO WAS CARRIED OFF
BY THE WHALERS.
[This curious story appears to be founded upon a real event, one of the
numerous acts of violence committed by the first European visitors to
Greenland. If we wish to appreciate properly these reminiscences of
the original account given by Kigutikak on his return home, we must
take into consideration first the manner in which he probably was
treated by his European keepers, merely as an object of curiosity and
jokes; next, the difficulty he had in explaining his strange experi-
ences and adventures to his countrymen, who had seen nothing but
Greenland ; and lastly, the continued endeavours at locaUsing and
adaptation by which succeeding narrators have altered it, until it be-
came capable of being understood by every assembly in Greenland,
merely as an object of entertainment, without needing any further
explanation. From this point of view the tale will be found inter-
esting and instructive with regard to the notions of the natives, and
the development of traditions in general.]
IN former times when European ships used to come to
the Ameralik shore, the whalers and natives met
for trading. Once a whaler warned Kigutikak and his
brother : " Ye had better beware of approaching my
countrymen yonder ; they intend some evil." One day
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 377
Kigutikak had got some gifts from the sailors ; his
brother on seeing this envied his good luck ; and
gathering some of his goods for barter, went off to the
malevolent whalers. Kigutikak also collected some
trifles and followed his brother ; but when the brother
approached the ship, a well-nianned boat came off to
meet him. They seized him and hoisted him on deck,
kayak and all. Kigutikak having shared the same fate,
the ship weighed anchor and stood out to sea. When
fairly clear of land, the wind rose and the sea ran high ;
once a great wave came sweeping the deck, and the
sailors all rushed below for safety. Kigutikak alone
remained on deck, and as the sea washed over, he took
firm hold of the gunwale. Except a small space where
Kigutikak had planted himself, the sea carried away
every part of the gunwale with a loud crash ; and when
the sailors appeared on deck they could not but see
that he had been in great danger. Afterwards, when
the storm had passed, and they had made a good dis-
tance off the land, which was now out of sight, it blew
another gale. This time the sailors persuaded him to
go below with them before they shipped another sea.
Approaching their own country they shortened sail,
although the wind was fair, lest it should be known
whom they had brought with them. Only at midnight
they stood in for the land and anchored. People on
shore were heard to call out, "The trading ships are
coming." At this news all the houses were quickly
illuminated, and afterwards the seamen were invited to
come on shore, but the captain would not leave the
ship before next morning. The following day he went
on shore, taking the Kalaleks (Greenlanders) with him.
People having got news of their presence, gathered like
gnats in great swarms to catch sight of them. In the
boat the captain gave orders to them saying, " When I
am going among people on shore, ye must not be star-
ing about you, but keep your eyes fixed on my heels ;
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 379
if ye don't mind my words, and take your eyes off my
heels, ye are sure to be lost in the throng ; " and they
answered him, " Well, we will follow thee closely." On
landing there was not a spot to plant their feet, such
was the crowd. At last a soldier appeared and under-
took to clear a passage for them by dividmg the masses,
and following in his wake they managed to get through.
Arriving at the captain's house the brother of Kigutikak
was missing ; in looking round he had lost his way, but
had fortunately been picked up by some other great
man, with whom he remained. When Kigutikak
entered with the captain, they found his wife moody
and sulking — fancy the idea ! she had a fit of jealousy.
However, when the captain produced a doll from his
pocket, and put it on the table before her, her good
temper was somewhat restored. During Kigutikak's
stay at their house, one day as he was going out to the
privy, on getting outside he was somewhat surprised by
two big Europeans menacing him from either side with
their long swords. Greatly alarmed, he ventured to tell
his master. His master forthwith gave him a bit of a
rope with a large knob at one end, saying, " Now go
and open the door and hit away among them with all
thy might ; " and having taken the rope's end he did as
he was told, hitting right and left without ever look-
ing at them. Having thus cleared a way for himself,
and being again ready to enter, he saw them peeping
round a corner of the house, covering their faces with a
handkerchief, for in lashing them with the rope he had
sorely hurt their eyefe. His master merely said, it served
them quite right During his stay at the captain's
house, Kigutikak sometimes went out to chase par-
tridges. On one of these excursions he happened to
meet a great big European who wanted to kill him, but
he forestalled him and killed him instead ; and in order
that no one should find out the deed, he buried him on
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380 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
the spot, and afterwards made the gravel quite smooth
on the top. At home he put on an unconcerned air, as
if nothing at all had happened. The next day he en-
countered another big Kavdlunak, who had the same
bad fortune ; but on meeting one on the same road the
third day, whom he was just about to despatch, he sud-
denly in time recognised his brother. After having
questioned each other about various matters, they both
fell a-weeping, and then Kigutikak asked his brother
where he had conie to live. The brother answered him,
" My present master is a very grand gentleman ; in follow-
ing you the other day I only turned to look about once,
but from that instant losing sight of you, I was happily
taken up by him, and am there in want of nothing."
When Kigutikak told him what had become of the two
big Kavdlunait, the brother rejoined that the other day,
on a similar provocation, he had acted the same way.
The brother then agreed to meet the next day after the
following, whereat they parted and each returned to his
place. At the next encounter Kigutikak exclaimed,
" What a lot of money I have got ! " and the brother
replied, " The same have 1." And they began to de-
liberate whether by adding the money together they
could not buy a ship with it The brother decided that
it would not be a bad plan and should be carried out,
and thus they parted. At home Kigutikak took his
master into counsel, asking him, "Could we not put
our money together and buy a ship, my brother and I ?
Pray count it over." ** Why, ye have plenty to get one
for," his master gave answer ; and Kigutikak soon pro-
ceeded to carry out his plan, finding materials and
hiring the workmen. The hull being finished in spring-
time, he began to talk to his master about the masts.
" They al-e easily got," he answered ; " a little south of
this is a place with many straight and tall trees, just the
thing for masts : " and when the time for his departure
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 38 1
arrived his master added, " But mark my words : when
you cut trees, have great care in looking about on all
sides and listen attentively. If you happen to hear
any noise, then flee at once, and if you think the way
hither too long, betake yourself to a steep rock a little to
the north, and there you will find people." He pro-
mised to remember this piece of advice ; and starting
for the forest he at length reached it. He soon found
out the highest and most beautiful trees, and very
cautiously began to cut them down ; but when he was
about to fell the second one, he fancied he saw another
tree moving, and at the same time heard a noise, but
did not take any notice of either as long as he saw
nothing (although he had been warned beforehand).
No sooner had he caught sight of a horrid beast emerg-
ing from among the trees, than he flung, down his axe
and took to running with all his might. On turning
round he plainly saw that the beast was gaining upon
him, and his master's home being too far off", he re-
treated towards the cave, which opened all of itself, and
closed in the same manner as soon as he had got within,
and almbst instantly he heard the pursuing beast bound-
ing against the door with a terrible roar. Inside the
cave he found a lot of dissolute women, with whom he
remained without caring much for getting home. As
time passed and he did not return, his master supposed
him to have been devoured by the wild beast ; but at
that very time he was preparing for his departure,
having first had his pockets filled with money by the
women as a recompense for having slept with them. On
his way home he first repaired to the forest to cut down
the second tree and fetch off" the tools, and then returned
to his master. On seeing him enter, the latter ex-
claimed, " I thought the wild beast had made thee his
prey ; where hast thou been all this while ? " He
answered him, " I was with the solitary women in the
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 383
cave ; they made themselves very pleasant towards me."
The master replied, " Oh, that's just what they always
do ; when once one gets in to them, it is no easy matter
to free one's self from them and get away/*
When the ship had been masted and was ready for
sea, it was put into the water, and two men set to work
loading it ; but on going to leave port, they were only
three for the ship all told — viz., the brothers and a cook.
At this time the brother unfortunately fell ill, and,
getting worse and worse, at length died, whereupon
Kigtitikak set on fire and burned his ship, and buried
all his stores in the sea. This was about the usual time
of departure for the whalers going to Greenland. His
master said, " Thou art sad and low-spirited ; a walk
would be a change and diversion for thee." They set
out, and arriving at a small lake, found a boat moored
off the shore ; in this they rowed across to the other
side, and soon reaching another lake and a small boat,
they crossed this in the same manner, and then pro-
ceeded to the next lake, where they likewise found a
boat, such being the regular means of conveyance for
travellers going this way. Having moored the last boat
and proceeded on their way, they soon arrived at a
town in the middle part of the country, where they
entered a house to get refreshments. Whilst they were
eating, they heard a cry, ** The whalers are leaving !
the whalers are off ! " At this news Kigutikak started,
and leaving his meal unfinished, he sped down and
unmoored the boat, his master following at a little dis-
tance. He travelled back across the lakes all by him-
self, his master being continually somewhat behind.
When Kigutikak at last reached the main harbour, he
heard that the whaling ships were all gone, excepting
one, whose crew had just gone ashore to undo the
cables. Kigutikak was just in time to jump into the
boat and get on board. His master, who all this time
had been unable to keep pace with him, was now calling
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to the sailors to take good care of him, and watch hitn
closely during their stay in Greenland.
After a voyage of many days, they got sight of the
southern point of the land ; and from that time Kiguti-
kak would no more undress himself; he wanted to
make use of his time and collect as many odd bits of
old iron as he could with which to stuff his pockets
before leaving the Europeans. As soon as he recog-
nised his own country, and the places where he used to
live, he proposed to the sailors to land and go out
partridge-shooting. To this they consented, but with-
out leaving him alone for a single moment, fearing he
would either be lost or run off for his home. Kigutikak
then told them, " Ye need not fear my being lost, but
just go after your game ; " and so they left him for a
short time. No sooner had they turned their backs
upon him than he hid himself in a deep cleft; and
immediately after he heard them shouting for him, and
saying to each other, " We were charged to keep a
good watch over him, and it will be a bad job for us if
he is not found." As soon as he thought them suffi-
ciently far off, he emerged and proceeded onwards.
Having wandered a long while, he observed a steep
rock, and began to descend it. Half-way down, he was
somewhat perplexed at finding himself utterly unable
either to advance or retreat. At length he determined
to ease himself of all the things he had carried away in
his pockets, and slid down the rest of the way. He pro-
ceeded still further, and came in sight of a great many
tents. Seeing him approach, people came running and
crying aloud, " Kigutikak is coming ! " and then all the
rest hastened out to have a look at him. He asked them
in the Kavdlunak language, " Where is my family } "
but they could not understand him. Asking them in
their own language, however, their place of abode was
pointed out to him. His own people had long ago
given him up, and since then an old bachelor had under-
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taken to provide for them. Kigutikak rewarded him
by allowing him to choose himself some trifles among
the pieces of iron he had brought along with him.
72.
THE MAN NOT TO BE LOOKED AT
BY THE EUROPEANS.
[A tale from South Greenland.]
AT Tasiusanguak there once lived a handy and
clever fellow, called Kenake (pron. Kenakee).
It was in those times when the whalers used to touch
on the isle of Umanak (district of Sukkertoppen), and
people used to go there and fetch the rejected matak
(whale-skin). Once Kenake went away to call on the
whalers' on this errand. The natives in those times
used to gather merchandise for trading with the Euro-
peans. When he had begun dealing with them, he
chanced to give some offence to the sailors ; and in a
struggle that ensued Kenake was killed. The captain,
however, was not made aware of this accident till later.
The wife of Kenake placed his corpse in the boat, and
prepared to go home, her son steering, and she herself
being now the only person to row. When the boat was
about to push off, the master of the ship threw a number
of nice things — such as various kinds of knives, and
other trifles highly prized in those days — into the boat ;
but Kenake's wife flung them into the sea, all the while
crying for her lost husband. At last, however, the son
got hold of a knife, which he secretly put aside, think-
ing it rather too bad to throw away so many valuable
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articles. When she was about to push off in goocf *
earnest, the sailors caught hold of her boat in order to
prevent her going, but biting their fingers, she obliged
them to let go one after another ; and after this they
were allowed to return to Tasiusanguak. Although she
grieved sorely, she asked her relatives and countrymen
not to avenge the murder of Kenake ; but nevertheless
they some time afterwards began to busy themselves
with the dead body for the purpose of turning (by
charm) the son into one whom the Europeans did not
dare to look upon, and also to make him proof against
shaft and spear. When he was full grown, and had
become a seal-hunter, and was possessed of a tolerable
store of merchandise, the whalers again happened to
arrive at Umanak. His relatives soon set out for the
ship ; and the second time they set off with their boat
well loaded, the eye -me -not was of the party. His
relatives having finished their bartering, he climbed on
deck, bringing the things he had for sale, expecting the
sailors to come on deck to barter with him. Finding
that they did not even approach, he got his things back
into the boat, but soon returned without any goods,
rummaging about the deck, and taking away from the
ship whatever he fancied ; and though the sailors be-
came aware of this, they turned away, pretending not
to observe anything. Having brought the things into
his boat, he went back on deck ; and it being now meal-
time on board, the visitors were now all treated to a
meal, except the eye-me-not But he revenged himself
by going into the cabin and laying hold of whatever he
chose, such as fleusing-knives, and so forth. When
caught in the very act of stealing these things, they
quickly turned away, pretending not to see ; and he
only stopped of his own accord, when he had taken all
he wanted. He went on this way all his life, as often
as whalers came to the place. When a ship had been
at Umanak for some time, and the sailors were missing
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388 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
too many of their belongings, they went off in a sloop
for Tasiusanguak to attack the robbers. Approaching
the shore, they would call out, " Come forth, thou fellow
whom no one can bear to look at ! " and while he obeyed
the summons, and went down to them, his old mother
would sit on the roof of the house pronouncing spells.
If the charm succeeded, the token was that the nose of
the first sailor who landed would begin bleeding. On
seeing them land, the eye-me-not went down to assist
them in hauling up their boat ; and when the very first
man set foot on shore, his nose was seen to bleed.
When they had all landed, and each had his nose
bleeding, the eye-me-not was seen running from one to
another, wringing and pulling their arms to make them
look at him. Then he would lift up his jacket, saying,
" I am the thief! " But they only turned away ; and he
went on trying to make them aim their guns at him,
still repeating, " It is I ; I am the thief ! " They hung
back despite his efforts to excite them into shooting
him. Such was his habit throughout his life whenever
a whaler put into port there. As long as the strangers
stayed at Umanak, their tormentor never left them at
peace, but was always hanging about them. No one
talked to them so much as he did, although he could
not make out what they answered, and though they
could not bear to look at him.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 389
73.
THE ANGAKOK FROM KAKORTOK.
[A tale from South Greenland.]
AN angakok, who used to have his winter station. a
little north of Kakortok (Julianehaab), took a
fancy to go and discover a nice and delightful country ;
and starting for his journey, he came to Nook (Godt-
haab). He had a daughter called Kakamak, and a son
besides. From Nook they went farther on to Pisugfik,
and met another angakok, named Kajuernek, who was
the only person that had been far to the north. On
being questioned concerning these parts, he answered,
" Indeed all the country northwards is very fine, but no
other part of it can be compared with Ilulissat " (Jakobs-
havn). On hearing this, the Southlander at once started,
and after a long journey at length landed on the coast
at Ilulissat, when the earth was already becoming hard
with frost, in consequence of which they had great trouble
in getting their house built ; and being hardly able to
manage the frozen turf, they made their house very
small. During their stay at this place, a fine young
man courted Kakamak, without the knowledge of her
parents. Her brother's wife was a very modest and
timid * person ; but Kakamak, on the contrary, was
proud and presumptuous, and often abused her sister-
in-law, who, however, did not mind her scolding, and her
parents likewise let her have her own way, and never
interfered. But one day another woman of the place
told Kakamak's mother that her daughter was secretly
married to the young man : the mother told it to her
husband when they had gone to rest in the evening. On
this the angakok at once had his boat put out, and every-
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thing prepared for departing ; and when so far ready, he
ordered his daughter into the boat. People thought that
he was only going on some excursion, but in reality he
was quite resolved on going back to the south. The
young man now stepped forward, saying, " Kakamak is
mine, and I want her ; " but her father replied, " No man
shall ever have my daughter ; and if any one should dare
to take her by force, I shall be sure to fetch her back."
So saying, he pushed from land ; and travelling on in-
cessantly, they at length came to a little island called
Alangok, where, for the first time, they pitched their
tent. In this place Kakamak secretly gave birth to a
child, which she afterwards killed. Proceeding further,
they came to a place just opposite Nook, where they
built their house for the coming winter.
In his excursions here the angakok used to meet with
a little manly kayaker, to whom he proposed to marry
Kakamak. The other answered, " I am willing enough,
but the women are always telling me that I am dark-
skinned." The angakok did not mind that the least,
but led him home to his daughter, saying, " Thou art
a vain and frivolous girl, and thou hast great need of
a good provider and husband, and such a one I have
brought thee now." Kakamak made no reply to this,
but did not reject him, and so he became her husband.
One day he returned, bringing home three seals; but
when he went to sit down beside her, without offering
her any tobacco, she pushed him away, so that he fell
down on the floor; rising quickly, he took his seat
on the side ledge. Kakamak was exceedingly fond of
snuff; and when he came to know of her inclination, he
sometimes brought his goods to Nook to barter them
for tobacco. Subsequently Kakamak got a son, whereat
the grandfather rejoiced extremely; but one day, when
the little one was running about and playing on the
floor, he suddenly gave a loud shriek, the blood gushed
out of his mouth and nostrils, and he was soon dead.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 39!
They had another son, who died about the same age,
and in the same manner ; and when the same misfortune
befell a third, the angakok tried a conjuration. Not
being able to find out anything about it, he said, " Per-
haps we are too near akin : let Kajuernek be called ;'*
and they at once started with a boat for him. In the
evening, when the conjuration was performed, he said,
" When the children died the sister-in-law of Kakamak
always reproached her as being guilty of a crime, and
having an anghiak (ghost of a child) who had killed "
the children." The sister-in-law did not utter a word
in reply. Continuing his conjurations, he farther pro-
nounced, " I see a kayak approaching from the north ;
it has the shape of a dog's head ; it draws nigh ; now it
is in the doorway, but it cannot get through the inner
entrance." The angakok now asked, " Who was thy
sack?*' (p6K, in the angakok language the same as mo-
ther.) All listening in silence, they heard an infant's
voice replying, *' Kakamak." — " Where is thy home ? "
— " I was born on the island of Alangok ; it is I who
have caused the death of all my younger brothers."
Kajuernek ordered the anghiak to pass the threshold.
It was very long in doing so ; but having at length en-
tered, he pursued it, hoping to get it destroyed. It was
now seen also by the other angakok, but slipped away
through a hole near one of the roof-beams. Kajuernek
said, " It is difficult to get it, because it has already
killed several individuals.*' The conjurations having
terminated, they found Kakamak sitting coiled up in
the farthest corner of the ledge all tears. Seeing her
thus, the sister-in-law, mindful of all the bad language
she had to put up with from Kakamak, took to rebuking
and scolding her in turn. The following day Kajuernek
tried to catch hold of the anghiak, but in vain ; it made
its escape through a small opening just as the day be-
fore, in consequence of which he was obliged to give it
up, Kakamak now grew meek and more submissive ; •
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but her father, being greatly depressed in spirits, deter-
mined to leave for another place ; and choosing Nia-
kungunak, they went to settle there along with another
family, consisting of many brothers. Towards winter
they all joined company, went out deer-hunting, and
killed a great many animals with bows and arrows ; but
his son having the greatest luck in shooting, the others
got envious and killed him out of jealousy. The angakok
took the loss of his son so much to heart, that he at once
returned to Nook, where he remained till the day of his
death.
74,
UTEREETSOK'S JOURNEY TO THE .
FAR NORTH.
[A tale from South Greenland.]
A MAN, named Utereetsok, once started from Ilu-
lissat, and travelled northwards, visiting all the
inhabited places he passed. He went beyond Umanak
and even Upernivik, and at last came to people who
had no wood for tent-poles, and merely placed the stiflf
dried seal-skins upon end, so as to form a tent, in which
they slept on the bare ground. The first morning after
their arrival, Utereetsok was standing quite uncon-
sciously, his arms drawn out of his sleeves, when, all of
a sudden, he felt some one giving him a heavy push
from behind ; but without hesitation he turned round
and dealt the offender such a blow that he rolled along
the ground, and then went off without saying a word.
When this had been twice repeated, the inhabitants
learned to fear him, and he was left in peace. In this
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place they noticed that the infants had all holes in the
hoods of their jackets. Having got more familiar with
the parents, they asked them about these holes, and
pointing to the moon, they answered, " It is because he
on high has been gazing at them ; whomsoever he deigns
to look down on is always sure to get holes in his gar-
ments."
When Utereetsok got weary of his stay there, he tra-
velled still farther north, following the niargin of the
solid ice. All along the coast there were abundance of
white whales. Unable to get on shore, they pitched
their tents upon the ice, sometimes spreading the skin
of a white whale, without removing the blubber, as a
flooring on the ground to sleep upon, and always leaving
it behind on starting. At length they approached a very
steep and craggy coast ; and near the only place where
landing was practicable they found a little house, but no
people. On entering it, Utereetsok at once perceived
that the ceiling-beams were made out of narwals* horn,
and not a bit of wood was seen anywhere. They like-
wise found a head of strange appearance, consisting of
tallow only, and instruments whose points were carefully
wrapped up in tallow and skin. Seeing no people what-
ever, they began to feel uneasy, and soon left again.
They managed the same way on their homeward jour-
ney, and settled for the XVinter at a place where the
people were excellent ball-players. In the middle of
winter they made an immense ball, by stuffing out an
entire seal-skin with sand and various other heavy things,
and finally making their old crones sit down upon it
and enchant it by magic spells. On coming to the play
they wore their usual dress, excepting on the feet, which
they had only clothed in stockings with new soles. The
ball was brought out on the ice upon a sledge, and the
counter party was stationed nearer the shore. They
continued playing and pushing one another until the
winners succeeded in striking the ball ashore and right
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 395
through the window of their house. Then it was seized
on by an old hag, who seated herself upon it After-
wards the victorious party gave a succession of enter-
tainments; and the general amusement continued during
all the season of the increasing daylight. In spring,
Utereetsok returned to Ilulissat There he met with a
man called Kepigsuak, from Kangamiut (South Green-
land), and it was he to whom he told his adventures in
the north. During Kepigsuak's stay two sledgers also
arrived from the north, who stated that they had left
their far-away home at the time of full moon, and who
had arrived here just at the next full moon. These
visitors were total strangers to the inhabitants, and were
from head to feet clothed in suits made of reindeer-skin ;
they reported that in their home the reindeers might be
seen lying close to the houses, and on the tops of the
roofs, like dogs in other places. Their object in this
long journey, they said, was to barter with the Euro-
peans for firearms, with which view they had brought
fox and reindeer skins. The merchant wanted also
to buy their dogs, and made a handsome bid for them,
offering a tin box of powder, and a whole barrel of lead
for^balls, in exchange for them. The strangers, however,
answered that they could not spare them.
In the spring Kepigsuak returned to Kangamiut,
while Utereetsok started for another trip to the far north
to revisit the house with beams of narwal-horn. This
time he intended to land at a little distance and ap-
proach it cautiously from the land side, in order to find
out whether it was occupied ; and if so, he wanted to
see what the people were like.
When Kepigsuak had been staying for some time at
Kangamiut, he planned a journey southwards, and went
to Kakortok. During his stay there a man named
Sakak captured a kepokak (fin -whale, Balcenoptera
boops), Sakak had four wives, of which the last, Igpak,
was very haughty, and greedy besides. When the news
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of the k'epokak was spread many visitors came ; but
Igpak had nothing to spare for the guests. Sakak
himself invited an old man to his house, but when he
was fairly seated Igpak rudely exclaimed, " Why,
really, we have no lack of old men looking in upon us
this time." The old man retorted, " For my part I
only came because I was asked." On this reply she
gave him a piece of matak, and likewise a knife for
cutting it ; the latter, however, he rejected, saying he
only wanted to take it home with him, Igpak, who
was always eating as if she could never be satisfied,
after a while went on in this style : " What ails me ?
what is becoming of me ? I left my work undone be-
cause of the victuals, that always seem to be drawing
me on," However, she did not give over, but ate all
the more, till her tongue at length was so sore that it
turned quite awry, and crying out, " Sakak, my tongue !
I am growing matak myself," she suddenly died.
People say that while she lived a noxious whale-
monster used to appear above the water whenever she
left the house ; but after her death it was seen no more.
The principal wife being gone, the others were now at
liberty to share out as they liked. In the following
spring Kepigsuak returned to Kangamiut. He was
afterwards baptised and called Egede. He is buried at
Kangamiut.
75.
SAVANGUAK.
[A story from South Greenland.]
NEAR Kangerdlugsuatsiak there lived a man called
Niumak, with his wife Kujapigak. Both were
very anxious to get a suitable wife for their only son.
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Niumak, from his early youth, had neither fancied nor
taken any part in singing or dancing entertainments.
At the dancing parties he would turn away from the
performers, seeming to take no notice of them ; but if a
wrestling match or a trial of strength was going to come
off, he was always on the alert At last Niumak fixed
upon a girl named Savanguak for the wife of his son,
and he became very fond of his daughter-in-law. In
summer-time he had one day gone out kayaking by
himself; and on landing from a hill perceived a ship
approaching. He lost no time in getting out his kayak,
and rowed away to meet it. Having got alongside the
vessel, he saw a rope-ladder hanging down the side, but
not a single man was seen on deck ; and no one answer-
ing his repeated calls, he went on board and entered the
cabin. All was desolate there as elsewhere, and he
concluded that the crew had recently left the ship,
omitting to furl the sails. The ship having run in
among the islands and grounded, he left it to fetch
a boat Returning with this, he established himself
and his people on board, and they soon ascertained that
the cargo was in no way injured. In the cabin they
found beads like those they had been accustomed to
get from the whalers, and having possessed themselves
of them, they thought themselves very rich. They also
overhauled the cargo, but being totally unacquainted
with it, they poured into the sea such articles as peas,
sugar, and molasses. Having taken from the ship all
they could lay hands on, they tore down the sails in
order to make use of them as an outside cover of their
tents. All the finest beads were given to Savanguak.
Afterwards, when Savanguak had already got several
children, some Southlanders arrived, whom Niumak in-
vited to come and stay at his house. In the beginning
of winter the younger baby of Savanguak died, and
they were all very sorry. One day, when her husband
was absent, a vile old crone belonging to the South-
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landers went on mocking the bereaved mother, holding
up her own grandchild before her in a provoking man-
ner unobserved by the others. This roused Savanguak's
suspicion against her. On the same day her husband
was expected back, her mother-in-law brought all the
reindeer-skins in, to have them looked over. While
every one's attention was taken up with this, Savanguak
ran outside to take the air. On finding she did not
return, Kujapigak turned to some of the larger children
and said, " Go and look after your sister-in-law." They
soon came back saying, " She is standing outside the
house." As she still remained out, they all ran off to
fetch her back. Following her tracks, they had to cross
a hill, and at length found her at the bottom of a little
lake close by. Nobody was able to draw her out ; but
at the same time they perceived Niumak in his kayak
making for the shore. No one, however, dared to call
him and tell him what had happened, but getting suspi-
cious from their silence, he put in at once, and hurried
to them. On looking round for information, one of the
bystanders screamed out, "Thy daughter-in-law is
lying dead at the bottom of the lake." Without utter-
ing a single word, he proceeded to draw her out, and
tried every means for reviving her; but these proving all
in vain, he let the others bring her to the house. On
carrying her in, they brought all their things out accord-
ing to custom. The husband of the deceased, who was
named Taterak, also arrived, calling out that he had got
a white whale. The servant-maid of the house silently
went down to receive and help him. Feeling assured
that something was amiss, he asked her to draw his
kayak on shore. Obeying her master she pulled up the
boat, but did it hurriedly without the usual care, at
which he looked inquiringly at her, but got no answer.
On stepping ashore his father met him and gave him
the sad intelligence that his wife had drowned herself.
Without undressing he quickly entered the house, and
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the father as well as the son went up and down the
room deliberating upon how to find out the cause of her
death. Meanwhile some of the others were whispering,
" Now we will soon have done with the old hag," but
the two men never heard them ; and unable to discover
any reason, they broke out into loud lamentations,
joined by all the rest, the old hag only excepted, who
was busy eating matak. Some time after, a baby of
the place was called Savanguak in memory of the
deceased ; and it happened that one of Niumak's house-
fellows told him that the old woman had been heard to
mock and ridicule the baby's namesake. When the
little one was learning to walk, the old hag one day
took to scolding it ; on hearing which, Niumak and his
son rose up together, saying, " Now we see who is the
real culprit ; " and so saying, he poured out a pailful of
icy water upon the naked woman, afterwards throwing
the pail out of the window. Her companions quietly
kept their seats in a row on the ledge ; but they were
soon upset by Niumak, who tore away the ledge-boards
beneath them, which were likewise thrown outside, and
he removed all his belongings out of the house. They
departed from thence to Kassigissat, leaving their
wicked house-fellows behind. During their stay at
Kassigissat several other people came to encamp there,
waiting for the migratory seal. About that time Haba-
kuk,^ a youth whose parents had likewise pitched their
tents there, one day kayaked northwards to meet the
seals ; and was suddenly surprised on seeing a boat
coming down upon him, rowed by a single man.
Habakuk, on his part, made up to them, and rowed on
alongside of them, being too modest to address them
first. At last their old woman Ajugaussak began : "We
are almost starving ; give us a little of thy new-caught
seal. We came away from Sakak, where all our house-
^ A native, who in the year 1790 made himself a prophet and head of
a Christian sect, independent of the European missionary.
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400 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
fellows died of famine, and we have travelled all this
way south without once taking our boat ashore for
drying ; our only provisions have been half-dried boat-
skins." When she had ended, Habakuk went closer to
them, saying, " Well, take the skin of my seal with
blubber and all, and the liver besides.*' They forthwith
tried to get the animal out of the boat, but were too
weak and exhausted to do it without his help. Their old
woman proceeded to cut it up, and gave each a little
piece of the blubber ; and having their hunger appeased
for the present, they followed him home, where a meal
was instantly set before them. However, they were at
first only able to take a very little food, and then went
joff to sleep, having first asked their old woman to light
a lamp. She trimmed it with blubber, accordingly ; but
missing the stick to stir it up with, she had to make a
ishift with her forefinger, at the same time exclaiming,
*' What a length of time I have longed for the sight of
this I " However, the strange travellers began to recover
by the nourishing food they were getting, but still they
often fell asleep in the midst of their meal. On awak-
ing, however, they fell to again, and at last grew so fat
that they could hardly get on their boots. Soon after-
wards they prepared to leave, intending to go still
further to the south.
I
76.
INUARUTLIGAK— WHOSE CHRISTIAN
NAME WAS PETER RANTHOLL.
[A tale from North Greenland.]
N times far back, the ancestors of this same Inuarut-
ligak (viz., fabulous dwarf-inlander or mountain-elf)
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are said to have lived at the southernmost point of the
country, at a place called Kutserfik ; and this was
before they had learned to be shy of human beings.
Just about that time a lasting enmity sprang up between
them on account of an Inuarutligak being killed by a
man ; and ever after, they say that the gnomes have
resorted to desert places, making hollows in the earth
for their abodes, and shunning the society of man.
Thirsting for vengeance, they in return killed a man
wl)om they chanced to meet with on one of their ex-
cursions. Being sadly in want of proper arms, they
found a large willow -bush on the sunny side of the
Kutserfik-mount. Its form was like a man bending
down on his knees and supporting his hand against the
ground. From one of its roots they made a weapon
not larger in size than a closed fist, shaped like a pistol ;
and at the end they put a little black stone, with a little
red one on the top of it. This instrument, when finished,
they named ih^ pointing weapon. Knowing and fearing
its killing powers for their own kith and kin, they are
said always to have carried it in their hand. At this
time the Inuarutligak of our tale was born. His father's
name was Malerke ; that of the eldest son Kinavina ;
of the second, Kook ; of the third, Asarfe ; and of the
fourth, Sersok, of whom we are going to tell. Being
given to moving about, his parents and relatives set out
on a journey to the north, and travelled on for several
years successively, always passing the winter in hollows
in the earth, and starting again in the early spring. It
is told that they once met with some singular people,
whose upper limbs were those of human beings, but
below the waist they were shaped like dogs. These
creatures were armed with bows, and dreadful to behold,
and could catch the scent of man and beast against the
wind like animals. One winter they covered the whole
inside of their abode under ground with a single skin-
that of the large beast called kilivfak, the one with six
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TALES AND TRADITIONS.
legs. The story goes that when they had eaten the
flesh of this animal, the bones were covered anew with
flesh, but only up to the sixth time; and despite its
strength and size, they killed it with the above-men-
tioned instrument, by merely pointing at it. They also
knew how to diminish the distance from one place to
another, by drawing the various parts of the country
closer, and performed this by merely kneeling down
together and spreading their arms out towards the
mountain-tops ; but finding some of them too high to
spread their arms over, the foremost crossed the already
contracted parts with one long stride, the others one by
one following in his tracks. Whenever one of them
was unfortunate enough to make a false step, several
of them were left far behind for a long time.
After a journey of several years, they arrived at
Ikerasarsuak (at the mouth of Wygat Straits), a place
where lived Inuarutligaks, as well as Inoruscks, There
they settled to wait till the frost should cover the ground
with ice and make it possible to join those on the other
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side. Starting again in spring, and passing several
winters at different places, they at length reached
Noosak on the continent, and came to their long-
wished -for relatives, and there they lived for many
winters. People say that at the beginning of the
journey to the north the high mountains were still
without ice, and Ikerasarsuak without any glacier.
These elves had two different ways of clothing them-
selves— one suit they had fitting their natural size, and
the other was large enough to fit a man. During their
wandering they wore their own proper clothes, carrying
the large ones with them, ready to put on in case they
should get some heavy load to carry. They could then,
by beating themselves, reach human size. Their way of
regaining their natural appearance was by bending down
to enter their cave, and hitting the crown of their heads
against the roof, on which they dwindled down to their
ordinary smallness.
An angakok at Noosak, whose wife was childless,
wanted to buy a child from the Inuarutligaks, and offered
to pay for him with three knives, a piece of bearskin,
and some whalebones already twisted into fishing-lines.
Malerke, on seeing them, grew very desirous of these
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things ; and having got them, he gave the knives to his
three sons, but the fourth and youngest he sold in
exchange for them. His new father brought him home,
and went to hide him behind the house. At night,
however, he got inside, and at once slipped into the
womb of his mother, on which account it was said that
he was in a state of perfect consciousness while he re-
mained in his mother's womb.
These elves were long in turning old ; their youth was
renewed five times over. On getting old the first time,
they let themselves fall headlong down a precipice, and
in this way regained the vigour and elasticity of youth.
After repeating this five succeeding times, it was useless
to try a sixth. This practice of letting themselves fall
down they called Inutsungnartok, They never die
young, but only after having undergone their five
separate ages, excepting those who are killed by
snowslips.
77.
AKUTAK AND INUINAK.
SEVERAL brothers had an only sister, whom they
loved dearly and were very loath to part with. To
the north of them was another hamlet, where lived Aku-
tak and Inuinak. One day when out kayaking, Akutak
said, " Let us go and give the brothers yonder a call."
Inuinak surmised they would only get a cold reception.
However, they started, but not a man did they find at
home ; and the women of the place could not give them
any welcome, their husbands having strictly ordered
them not to receive any unmarried man whatever during
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their absence. The strangers nevertheless entered the
house, where they found the lonely sister occupying a
seat on the southern side of the ledge, where her bed-
ding also could be seen most handsomely piled up.
Though seats were offered to them at the northern end,
they preferred a settle facing the unmarried sister.
They now proceeded to relieve themselves of their
jackets, Akutak displaying a skin as fair and soft as
that of a white whale, while Inuinak on stripping him-
self came out as black as a raven. Thus they remained
a short time ; but before food had been offered to them,
the men of the place were hailed returning with their
prey. The women ran down to assist them in bringing
up their seals ; but no sooner had they re-entered the
house than a voice was heard in the passage, and a man
entered, and in a grumbling voice broke out, " Well, to
be sure, we are having visitors." This was the middle
brother, and he was soon followed by the rest of them.
Akutak answered, " There thou art right ; however, we
were not very anxious to come at all." The middle
brother then ordered some meat to be served up to
them ; and, after a plenteous feast, there was a good
deal of talking ; but the whole of the evening the
visitors kept their seats, never turning their looks off
the maiden sister. At length the brothers, longing for
rest, lay down to sleep, reclining in their different places.
Only the middlemost of them determined to keep watch ;
and, having pulled off his boots, leaned back, keeping
an eye on the strangers all the while. Presently he
heard Inuinak call out in a loud voice, "Young girl,
make up a bed for me ! " The sister at once complied,
and he lay down beside her. The brothers first thought
of interfering, but soon gave up the idea, and took no
further notice of them. Akutak being now left by him-
self, was beginning to feel rather lonely ; and, not ad-
dressing any one in particular, simply cried out, ** Make
up a bed for me, too ! " The brothers only glance^ at
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him, saying, "Why, thou art raving; just lie down by
thyself." Somewhat abashed, he went off to sleep ; but
in the morning, when the others awoke, they found he
was gone. In his anger he had bewitched the sister, in
order to set her against her new husband.
Early in the morning, the brothers all left in their
kayaks, but the brother-in-law remained in bed till after
sunrise, when he likewise started, having first put on his
kayak-jacket. Ere long it was announced that he was
putting back, and had some spoil in tow. He had
already captured two seals; and his young wife was
soon on the alert for flensing and cutting them up.
This done, she fell upon her husband's neck, caressing
him incessantly, and would not leave him alone a single
moment. When night set in, and the brothers had all
returned, he actually began to be afraid of her, and
removed to another corner of the room, where he seated
himself behind a lamp, always keeping her off. But
still she would not leave him at peace ; and catching
hold of him with one hand, she at last took up a
piece of a grindstone with the other, eating away at it
as if it had been a morsel of ice. At sight of this, the
brothers exclaimed, " Our sister has gone raving mad ;
let us be off from here ; " and away they fled, having
first cut asunder all the lashings of their boat ; and at
their departure, one of them said to their brother-in-law,
" If people are like this one, nothing is to be done; and
thou hadst better come with us." But the other re-
joined, " I will take my chance, and stay, if it be only
for this one night." The others all started off, while he
remained with his wife ; but she went on pursuing him
all the night, and he kept running away from her,
scarcely able to escape her clutch. At dawn of day,
however, he succeeded in making a bold leap from the
floor right down the house passage, and rushing along
to seize his kayak, he quickly got into it. But at the
very moment he was ready to push off, she again
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reached him, and made an attempt to catch hold of
the kayak-point, in which, however, she did not succeed.
At first she seemed determined to follow him on the
water, but all of a sudden she turned back ; and having
looked after her a little while, the poor husband hastened
away to a small island off the coast, where he knew the
brothers had established themselves. The middlemost
came out, inquiring how she was ; and being informed
how she was, he remarked as before, " If people are like
her, there is nothing to be done but keep away from
them." When ten days had elapsed, one morning the
husband said, " I must go and look after her ; she may
possibly be starving for want of food." The others
tried to dissuade him, but he insisted on going. Having
reached the place, he only pulled his kayak half-way out
of the water, and then proceeded to the house. For
fear of his wife, he did not venture to enter at once, but
only peeped in at the window, and there he perceived
her lying on the ledge, her hair all loose and dishevelled.
When he addressed her, she answered him back in the
blandest manner, saying, " I am quite well; come inside."
He went in at her bidding ; but no sooner had he entered
thexoom than she jumped up, and made a furious rush
at him, upon which he again started back, and narrowly •
escaped through the doorway. She quickly followed
him, and after vainly attempting to catch the prow of
his kayak, he suddenly observed her walking on the
water as if it had been solid ice. Hearing her voice, he
turned round, and seeing her close by he cried, " Why
did I go and see this wicked thing } Probably she is
going to eat me up." As the only way to keep her off,
he began swinging to and fro in his kayak. Presently
her voice grew weak, and on turning round, he saw her
nearly falling; but always giving her time to get up,
he at last brought her towards the brothers. On
seeing her approach, they cried, "Why didst thou
bring her over } She will kill us all." While they were t
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thus exclaiming, and the husband could not persuade
himself to leave her altogether, she saw before her a
streak of little ripples on the water ; and when she came
to them, she suddenly turned, and went back wailing
and lamenting. The husband now left off visiting her
for a long time ; but at last one day he said, *' I must
go and see her once more ; she is probably dead." On
arriving at the place, he found the house empty, and at
last discovered her sitting in a cave all shrunk together,
and stone-dead. Having buried her remains, and covered
the grave well with stones, he returned.
They now resolved upon giving up the house for good,
and settled down for the coming winter on the outermost
of the islets, soon after which the sea was frozen over.
About this time a poor orphan boy, living in the house
of Akutak, said to his house-fellows, " I am in great want
of boots, and intend to go to the brothers and offer them
my little dog in exchange for a pair of old boots." Ac-
cordingly he betook himself to their old place. On
arriving there in the morning, he wondered at seeing the
house without windows. However, he went up to it,
and found it still well provisioned ; but he could neither
see a boat nor any person about the place. On entering,
he found all the skin-hangings of the walls torn down
and spread on the floor. But knowing no other in-
habited house in the neighbourhood, he soon made up
his mind to stay the night over, and at dark went to
fetch some blubber, trimmed a lamp, and lighted it.
He then pulled off his ragged boots, and having put
them up above the lamp to dry, seated himself at the
south end of the ledge. At first his little dog had fol-
lowed him into the house, and rolled itself up at his feet
on the floor. But while his boots were drying, the dog
began to sniff and yell ; and running outside, its barking
gradually became more distant. Some time after, it
again returned, and lying down before its master, looked
at him very sharply, and then rushed out^howling as
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before, this time re-entering immediately. The orphan
thought, " Dogs are not unconscious of anything!* He
then put on his boots and rushed out, soon followed by
the dog. Before they had made their way through the
house passage, on looking out he caught sight of the
ghost making towards him through the entrance, drag- •
ging its shroud behind it. The boy being in the middle
part of the passage, pressed himself close up to the wall,
and the dog also. At the very moment he expected to
be discovered by the ghost, it passed by, on which the
dog instantly jumped noiselessly out, followed by his
poor master. Both now hastened down to the ice ; but
before they had got far, the spectre was seen emerging
from the house in full pursuit of them. It did not, how-
ever, get hold of them ; for at a little distance the fugi-
tive had to pass by a large iceberg ; and seeing a cave
on one side of it, he stepped quickly in, and there
awaited the coming day.
At dawn he issued forth again, but did not know
which way to wend his steps. His first plan was to go
back to his own home, when he suddenly espied a
number of people on one of the outer islets. He at
once turned towards them. They apparently got much
excited at seeing him, thinking it might be the mad
woman. Not till he was quite close did they recog-
nise the poor orphan boy, when they all asked whether
he had not slept in the haunted house, and whether he
had seen anything amiss there. He answered, " No ; I
observed nothing particular ; " and in so saying he told
a lie, as he had barely escaped being devoured by the
ghost. When they asked him why he had gone there
at all, he made answer, "Because I wanted to barter
away my little dog for a pair of boots." The middle
brother now said, " Well, thou art a hearty little fellow
for thy age," — and with these words he gave Jiim two
pairs of boots without taking his dog ; and when the
boy was about to leave, he asked a gift of a knife with
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a pretty handle. All the other brothers likewise loaded
him with little presents of various kinds. On reaching
home, however, he exchanged all these things for a
kayak of his own.
78.
ARNARSARSUAK, THE KIVIGTOK WOMAN.
ARNARSARSUAK was a pretty girl, much courted
by the best seal-hunters of the neighbourhood.
Her brother being unwilling to let her get married, she
at length took up with a fellow and lived with him
as his concubine. Before long she was with child, but
notwithstanding, her brother still continued loving her
dearly. One day she had been out to fetch water, and
at the very moment she was about to enter she chanced
to hear her sisters-in-law within talking about her, say-
ing to each other, ** I wonder who ever will care to be
troubled with the charge of that wretch Arnarsarsuak is
going to give birth to." On hearing these words, she at
once put down her pails in the passage, and ran off far
to the inland, away from humankind. During her flight
she perceived that the time had come when she should
be delivered ; she fell into a deep swoon, and on recov-
ering found she had given birth to a kinguleraky For-
merly, in the days of her prosperity, she had been kind
and charitable to two orphan children, a boy and a girl,
who lived among them. Many years after, when Arnar-
sarsuak's brothers were all dead, the two orphans took
^ An anghiak who remained attached to the mother on account of her
being kivigtok, until she had revenged herself.
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up their abode at a solitary place out on some far away
islands. When the brother was following his trade in
his kayak the sister felt miserably lonely ; to make up
for which, however, when he again returned she felt as
if the house were full of visitors. One evening when
they were sitting chatting together, the brother suddenly
said, " I think I shall try to recall the song that Arnar-
sarsuak used to sing." But the sister advised him rather
to desist, saying, " Remember that Arnarsarsuak now .
belongs to those of uncommon kind, having fled from man-
kind during her pregnancy. I have heard that such
people have the gift of hearing their own songs a long
way off." However, the brother would not give up his
intention; but no sooner had he commenced singing
than a voice was heard outside, " On hearing my song
I could not resist coming, and here I am." The brother
and sister looked at each other in great alarm, knowing
that their house was far away from any one. However, *
they soon recognised the voice to be Arnarsarsuak's, on
which the sister resumed, " Did not I tell thee she would
be sure to hear thee singing i now go and answer, thou
being the best talker of us." The brother, however,
did not stir; and the voice was again heard, " Ye need
not be afraid of me ; I only want to get inside." See-
ing her brothers could find no words, the sister said,
" Well, come in ; " and presently a sound was heard of
something creeping along the passage, while the two
shrank back on the ledge in silence, with a sure forebod-
ing that the next moment they would be frightened to
death. The sound rapidly approached ; they only ven-
tured a timid glance towards the entrance, and immedi-
ately after Arnarsarsuak entered, prettier than ever, and
said, " I was lately far from this place, in the interior,
whence I was suddenly lured by some voice calling
me hither." The sister now took courage to say, " It
was only for a pastime he tried to sing thy lay." Ar-
narsarsuak continued, " Ye know why I fled ; it was be-
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cause I heard my sisters-in-law observing that no one
would be found willing to provide for my poor offspring.
On that day I ran far off into the interior, when I was
soon to give birth to a kingulerak^ which ever since ad-
hered to my body till a few days ago. In my present
state ye have nothing to fear from me, and I would be
very glad to come and stay with you." Seeing that
they had no choice, and could not get rid of her, they
allowed her room on the farthest end of the ledge, and
themselves lay down, leaving a wide space between
them ; still they were quite unable to fall asleep. The
following day the brother wanted to go out hunting ; his
sister, however, persuaded him to stay at home on ac-
count of her new housemate, whom they still considered
rather a doubtful personage. On the ensuing day he
went out kayaking, but kept so near to the house as not
to lose sight of them for any length of time. In the
evening, however, he returned, bringing with him two
seals, and the sister at once ran down as usual to flense
and cut up the animals, but Arnarsarsuak would not
allow it, taking all the work on herself; and having
quickly flensed both seals, she made up a lire, and while
she did the cooking she sewed at the same time. As
time went by, and their fears subsided, the brother re-
solved to marry her ; but when she came to be pregnant
the sister began to fear she would bear no human off-
spring, and in that case she said, " Whither am I to
flee } seeing we live on an island, I can only rush down
to the sea." When her time had come, the brother as
well as the sister determined to run away from the
house ; but when the brother turned back to have a last
look through the window, his wife turned towards him,
saying, *' It is all over, and the birth has taken place.
Do not fear, but come in to me." On hearing this he
hastened to bring his sister back. When they returned,
Arnarsarsuak sat smiling kindly on them, and said.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 413
" Behold the object of your fears, my two babes." She
then showed them a little bear cub and a real child.
Both were nursed together, and when the bear had be-
gun to go about by himself she again bore a child and
another little bear.
In due time the father gave his boys kayaks, and the
bears of their own account went out for provender ; and
at length the father could afford to take things easy, and
rest from work. Subsequently he proposed that they
should all set out together in search of other people,
thinking that the children ought not to live always at
such a desolate place. Accordingly they started north-
wards, the sons following in their kayaks, while the bears
kept swimming alongside the boat. Travelling on thus,
they at length came in sight of a well-peopled place ;
on this the bears stuck closer to the boat, and out of
bashfulness only popped their muzzles above water.
The father remarked, " Don't be ashamed ; remember ye
also are of human extraction." However, on landing a
little south of the settlement they were received by a
number of people, who on seeing two large bears ran
off for their weapons. But on the father calling to them,
" What are you thinking of ? they also are my children,"
they desisted. The new-comers took up their winter
quarters at this place, where the sons both got married,
and all lived happy together. When the weather was
too bad for the men to go out hunting, the bears went
off in their stead. After wintering there they again
broke up for their old home, and were joined by several
people of the place, who accompanied them thither,
where their bones now rest.
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79.
AVATARSUAK, WHO WAS BAPTISED
NATHAN.
IT is said that his grandfather, being likewise called
Avatarsuak, was a wise man. It was he who took
charge of his younger namesake, whose own father had
been early called away from home. The grandfather
admonished him not to harm the meanest dog, and
never to be uncivil towards old people, not even on
being reproved by them. When he came to possess a
kayak of his own he remarked that his grandfather, when
pushing him off the beach, was always heard to pro-
nounce some strange words, at the same time uncover-
ing his head by pulling the hood back behind the ears
But though the youth listened carefully, he could not
make out the meaning of the words.
About the time when he first commenced seal-catch-
ing his grandfather died, and being left alone he took
up his winter quarters at a place where the Southlanders
had to pass by when on their trading excursions to the
European settlement at Pamiut (Fredrikshaab). At
length two kayakers on their voyage to this place passed
by his residence, whom he expected for ever so long to
see return, but in vain. At length he learned from the
south that both were missing, and at the same time that
he was suspected of having killed them. Some time
after, being in want of a skin for a hunting-bladder, he
went off in search of a firth-seal. It was fine weather,
and so calm that the breathing of the larger seals was
plainly audible. As for the small firth-seals, however,
he saw none, and was getting farther and farther into
the bay. Suddenly something emerged from the water,
coming up close behind him, and beating the top of his
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kayak, and lo ! it was nothing less than a tupilak (mon-
ster made by sorcery). It accosted him, saying, " How
lucky I met thee thus alone, as I am longing for some
entrails ! " Stupefied with awe, he felt the creature creep-
ing up on the top of the kayak behind him, constantly
repeating, " I shall soon make a feast on thy entrails ; "
at the same time pressing down the stern of the kayak
so deep as to make the prow rise in the air. Never be-
fore had he, who was wont to carry spotted seals, had
such a weight on board. Feeling his strength giving
way, and knowing nothing better, he tried to capsize his
kayak to the left, but was greatly perplexed to find his
oar striking against a hard substance below, though out
in deep water. At this he got up ; but in attempting
to turn his kayak to the right, he again hit something
hard, on which he slowly righted himself, and rowed
away, at the same time perceiving that he was regain-
ing his strength. But though he pulled homewards with
all his strength, he found it impossible to make his kayak
go straight It kept turning round, carrying him to-
wards uninhabited places. The tupilak now cried,
" Thou hateful creature, I see I have made a mistake,
and climbed up to one of uncommon kind'* (viz., a man
endowed with a certain degree of angakok power) ; and
he noticed it struggling hard to get down, but without
being able to detach itself Thus he went on pulling
away to the sunny side of the firth. When they were
quite close to the beach, the tupilak said, " I see I shall
not get through with thee, and I think I shall be made
thy prize." Just then the man on looking round dis-
covered a boat occupied by women, who had been
farther up the firth getting angmagsat (capelins). He
called out to them, " I have got something on my kayak
that is not a seal ; put ashore yonder and come round
this way quickly." When they had done as he told
them, he went on saying, " Don't attack it in front, as it
might be dangerous to you." The foremost among them
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on seeing the beast fled in terror. The kayaker again
began to lose strength, but at length his repeated calls
caused the women to come back, bringing with them
oars, intending to use them as levers, the beast sticking
fast, as if glued to the kayak. At length it gave way,
and a cracking noise was heard, whereupon he was able
to get out and look at the monster, which proved to be
the size of a large firth-seal. Turning to the oldest of
the women he said, " I do not care to touch it ; ye cut it
up; I shall repay you hereafter." In expectation of the
reward she at once fell to and cut open the tupilak,
which she found stuffed with all kinds of bones, such as
of birds, walruses, and seals. They had it entirely de-
stroyed by sinking part of it in the sea, and hiding the
rest of it in some old tombs. This done, he prepared to
row home, but first said to the women, " Thanks to you
and your roaming thus about, without which I \&^onder
how I had fared. I will take care to repay you ; I am
not likely to forget you." At home he told his adven-
ture, and all now felt sure that it must have been the
tupilak which had formerly killed the two traders. After
this all travellers were unmolested, and the women were
well paid by Avatarsuak.
Some time now elapsed without anything remarkable
happening. Towards spring, however, he found himself
in want of several necessaries, such as lead, powder, and
tobacco, and set out for the European settlement at
Pamiut. Having finished his business there, and rested
during the night, he turned homewards, rather uneasy
about a quantity of drift-ice which had accumulated at
the mouth of a firth he had to cross. Before he reached
the spot, the land wind set in, and caYne storming down
upon him, and the sky looked black and threatening.
Still he tried to cross the firth, winding his way through
the small passages between the broken ice. At length,
however, he found himself almost entirely stopped, and
at the same time saw a large iceberg drifting down upon
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 4^7
him. He tried to escape, but presently heard the roar
of its calving (breaking) right alongside him, and pressing
him deep under the waters. However, he rose on the
other side of the broken piece, and again sped along,
but on the shady side of the firth he was once more
overturned by a much larger iceberg, and this time he
quite lost his senses. How long he was in this state XA
stupor is not known ; but on reviving he noticed the
strings of his kayak-jacket rattling about, and smiting
his back with the quick motion, while he was pushed on
towards the land beneath the waves. He had no kayak,
but found himself sitting down, the loose bottom skin of
his kayak fastened round him, and having his kayak-
stick for an oar, and with one leg somewhat bent. In
front he saw some one in a large hood rushing on and
cleaving the waters for him, and behind he heard some
one talking, but without being able to make out the words.
These companions proved to be his gjrandparents pro-
tecting their grandson. When they came nearer to the
islets he felt exceedingly thirsty; and presently dis-
covering an iceberg with a fine spring flowing from it
he wanted to go and quench his thirst ; but at that mo-
ment he heard a warning voice behind him saying,
" Dear grandson, do not drink of the fountain designed
for those perishing at sea ; if thou drinkest thoii wilt
never return." At length he was carried far towards
the head of the firth, and saw light from the windows of
a very large house. Presently a woman in a white jacket
came out of the doorway, then another, and at last a
man in a reindeer cloak, followed by others, all being
dogs in shape of men, and running down on the beach
to him. When he entered the house there were people
sitting together at its southern end, keeping watch over
a dying brother. Having got inside he fell down beside
the first lamp, but still could hear one of the men say,
" An anghiniartok has come among us ; " at that instant,
on being handled by them, and touched upon his bare
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41 8 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
skin, he lost all consciousness, but soon after revived,
hearing a sweet tune of a song from his childhood. At
the very moment he revived the sick man breathed his
last. The people of the house put a new skin under-
neath him, and let him remain perfectly quiet in his own
clothes for five succeeding days, after which he began
to stir about a little, and long to get home, but he had
no kayak. One day, however, a woman went down along
the beach to gather the red sea-weed, and returned saying,
" Only fancy ! I have found a complete kayak drifted
ashore to us." When they had gathered on the beach,
and duly inspected it, they made it out to be the kayak
of their anghiniartok, in perfect order, and lying just
above high-water mark, and well closed by the half-
jacket. On opening this they also found his goods, not
a single implement amissing. The next day he re-
turned ; and from that time upwards he became still
more of a wise man, and no witchcraft could ever work
upon him.
80.
ABOUT THE MEN FROM THE FIRTH VISITING
THE PEOPLE AT THE OPEN SEA-SHORE.
THERE once lived three brothers at the head of a
firth not far from Nook (Goothaab). They were
born firth-people, and never thought of approaching the
outer sea-coast But on learning that great flocks of
auks were to be met with at Kangek, at the mouth of
the firth, they agreed to make a trip thither. When they
were ready for their departure, however, the youngest
changed his mind and would not be of the party; so the
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 419
Other two went off by themselves. Arrived at Kangek,
they first intended to land at the outermost point, not
being aware of the heavy surf setting in upon it. When
the men of the place saw them in their trouble, they said
to each other, " It is plain the firth-people yonder know
nothing about surf; now we will have some fun with
them." Meantime the visitors had put back, and were
looking for a place nearer the habitations, where the
landing was easier ; but the men called out to them,
" We never land anywhere but at the point yonder : it
is rather an awkward thing, and cannot be done without
letting the surf roll over you ; however, that is the way
to do it." The two poor fellows retired abashed ; and
paddling back to the great breakers outside the cape,
they almost doubted their words. However, as the men
on shore continued encouraging them, the eldest brother
first paddled back, and when at the right distance from
shore, he suffered himself to be carried right in upon the
rocks by a monstrous wave, while he quickly made fast
his oar by his kayak-strings. At the moment the wave
broke over him, he had loosened his jacket from the
kayak, and took a leap, jumping on shore, where he
waited the next roller, which brought in his kayak, which
he grasped hold of, at the right moment hauling it up.
Not a word was uttered by any of the mockers, who
stood in great consternation on seeing this daring act,
which no one among them would have been able to
accomplish. While the poor visitor was drawing up his
kayak the other prepared to land in the same way, and
he achieved it with even greater agility and swiftness
than the brother. After this the men on shore took
a sudden fancy to them, and vied with each other in
inviting them to their houses. The elder, who had by
this time found out their former intention of mock-
ing them, replied, " Poor worthless fellows like us are
little fit to come here ; but our younger brother would
just be the man for you. However, he had no fancy
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420 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
for coming. In summer, when the mighty glaciers are
throwing off the icebei^s into the firth, and when the
spotted seals appear, we always want to get at them, but
we dare not venture out on account of the dreadful surf
from the glacier. We only stand watching our brother,
when he, heedless of the danger, crosses the firth ; so
you see that we are not at all the right ones to call in
here/' Still not a word escaped the others. After hav-
ing put their kayaks and implements ashore, they entered
the houses, and were regaled with auks, which they liked
very much. However, they preferred the entrails to the
flesh itself, thinking them more like the entrails of gulls,
which were their usual food. The day after they went
with the men auk-catching, and having loaded their
kayaks, they again turned homewards.
8t.
THE DESERTED WOMAN AND HER
FOSTER-DAUGHTER.
A WOMAN, who had no brothers or sisters, lived
with a little foster-daughter at the house of a
great seal-hunter. The daughter was very docile, and
always obeyed at the least word. Once, during spring,
all the people belonging to the place went away fishing.
The chief hunter only lingered behind, harbouring
wicked intentions. One calm morning he went outside
the house and re-entered, saying, *' Pack up your things;
we must be ready to start." They now made all speed,
and the lonely woman was not the least busy among
them — she worked away as she never did before.
When she had put her own poor bundles into the boat
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 421
she hurried up for her ledge-cover ; but when she came
outside again, she observed the foster-daughter still
standing on shore watching their master closely; and
when she herself came down he leaped into the boat,
and shoving off, called out to them, " Ye only eat our
food; we won't take you along." So saying, their house-
mates turned their backs upon them, and got under
way. The poor creatures, whose scanty belongings
had all been put into the boat excepting the ledge-
cover, on seeing the boat depart, faced each other in
blank despair, and then burst into tears. However,
when the boat was out of sight, the widow wiped her
eyes, and said, " Never mind, my dear; we must just do
without them." But the child was •not so easily con-
soled. When at length she stopped crying, her mother
said, '' Let us go and find out a house to make our
home." They went through all the deserted huts, but
everywhere the walls were bare and the hangings re-
moved, till at length they came into one without win-
dows, where the skins still hung on the walls, and the
old one said, " Here, in the southern corner, we'll take
up our quarters." She at once proceeded to make a
room of suitable size, dividing it from the rest of the
house with the skins. This done, she continued, " Let
us now go outside and try to find something to eat at the
fiensing-place." She took the child by her hand, and
they soon found some small bits of blubber and skin,
which they greedily devoured, having had no food the
whole day. After this meal they lay down to rest, but
were unable to sleep because of the cold. The next
day, after a similar search, they found the entrails of an
entire seal. After this, however, they found nothing
more, and had only the entrails to live upon.
It was just when the herds of seals are passing along
the coast that their stock of entrails was exhausted.
One morning, having taken a small morsel, they noticed
that there was only a bit left for their supper at night, t
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422 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
Then the widow said to her daughter, " Child, thou art
more strong and active than I : thou must go and dig
a hole over yonder beneath the window-ledge." The
daughter obeyed at once, and began to dig up the loose
earth. When she had finished, the mother repeated,
" Thou art more brisk and active than I : run away and
fill the hole with water." The daughter continued fetch-
ing water from the sea, and before evening the hole was
filled. That evening they took their last bit of food, and
went to rest, but without being able to sleep. In the
early morning the mother said, " I shall probably not
succeed ; still I think I will try to procure something
(by magic)." The daughter did not like the idea, nor
did she believe in it ; but the mother rejoined, " When
I commence my incantation, as I repeat it again and
again, thou must listen attentively." She soon began,
and as she went through it, warned her daughter to
attend well. The child listened, and presently heard a
splash : on which she exclaimed, *' Mother dear, there is
something moving in the water." When the old woman
told her to see what it was, she ran off to look, and see-
ing a little frog-fish, called out, "Ah, mother, it is a frog-
fish ! '* The mother told her to kill it with the old grind-
stone (probably an amulet). The little girl obeyed, and
the fish was boiled and cut in two, putting aside one-half
for their evening meal. Next morning the mother re-
peated her incantation, and they got a nepisak-fish
{Cyclopterus lumpus) ; the next day, in the same way,
an eider-duck — and so on the following days, a firth-seal,
a saddleback-seal, a small dolphin, a white whale, and
at last a narwal. When she had done flensing the cap-
tured animals, the following day large quantities of dif-
ferent kinds of provisions were heaped up outside the
house. Towards evening they went to the top of a rock
sloping south to cut the flesh in thin slices for drying.
While there engaged the daughter exclaimed, "I almost
think I see a kayak coming in;" and in this she was quite
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 423
right. The lonely woman had one relative, a very aged
man ; and this poor fellow, having lately heard of the
manner in which she had been abandoned and left in an
empty house, now came to see if she had not starved to
death, bringing with him a frog-fish as a gift in case she
was still alive. When he saw the flensing-place all red
with blood he could not believe his own eyes, but thought
it all a delusion. And when he observed the two women
standing on the rock and slicing large pieces of flesh for
drying, and when they afterwards came running down
to receive him, he accosted them, " Here am I, expect-
ing to find you starved to death: I actually came to
bury you." She answered him, " Silly old thing thou
art ! just get thee out of thy kayak, and partake of our
good fare here." The poor old man went ashore, but
tasted nothing till he had pulled his kayak properly up
on the beach. The women had meanwhile boiled him
a nice dish. He took his fill for once ; and when he
wanted to start they stuffed his kayak with such a supply
that it was almost ready to sink. On leaving he said,
•* As it is, there is no fear of your starving to death ;
when all your provisions are ready prepared I shall
come to fetch you off." When he was gone they went
to rest, and the morning after she again made ready to
practise her art. However, she chanted and invoked,
and chanted again, and the daughter watched and lis-
tened as usual, but neither breathing nor splashing was
heard. The reason was that they had taken offence at
her having made the gifts over to other people; and
from that time upwards she never succeeded in calling
forth anything. When her magic spell had wholly lost
its effect, and she had finished drying her stock of flesh,
her poor old relative came and fetched her off to his own
homestead, and there she remained the rest of her days
with him.
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424 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
82.
ISIGARSIGAK.
ISIGARSIGAK and his younger brother once set out
on a journey northwards, and did not stop till the
frost obliged them to establish themselves for the winter
before they had reached their goal. Not till the middle
of next summer did they arrive at their place of desti-
nation, where they found a number of people all friendly
and well inclined ; and therefore they resolved to pass
the next winter with them. Winter went by in the
usual way ; but when spring came round, some of the
people at times would say, "At midsummer-time we
shall no doubt again see the dark stripe'' This implied
the intention of going a trip to Akilinek (the country
beyond the ocean) ; but the strangers did not understand*
their meaning. One day a man came up to Isigarsigak
saying, " We all of us intend to go a voyage out sea-
wards to Akilinek ; with that view thou wouldst do well
to gather skins for a double coating to thy boat." He
followed this advice ; and when all had got their boats
new coverings, he noticed that every morning the in-
habitants mounted the top of a hill to take a survey of
the ocean. Sometimes he joined them, and then they
used to say, " Much as we long to be off, we dare
not risk it yet" But at length the rattling noise of the
tent-poles woke him one morning, and when he saw
the others had almost finished carrying their things
down to the boats, he hastened to pull down his tent ;
and being also ready, the boats started. They stood
to sea at once; and when the outer covers got
wet and began to slacken their speed, they cut their
fastenings and cast them off. Isigarsigak dropped
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 425
astern a little, and had almost given up hope of seeing
land again, when suddenly he heard land-shouts ahead
of him. As he listened again, he could make out that
they cried, " The broad dark stripe ; " and presently he
saw it looming out, and when he rose and stood upright
he beheld a broad expanse of land. The travellers now
broke out into exulting shouts that they had reached
the opposite shore without a gale, and on coming close
to the land they found it abounding with reindeer.
They moored their boats, and at once went off shooting,
but Isigarsigak and his brother slew the greatest num-
ber. They decided on staying at this place for a sea-
son. Some time after there was heard a cry of " Boats."
Isigarsigak went out and saw a great numbercoming down
from the north. These travellers also took up their quar-
ters there ; but Isigarsigak did not care to assist them,
and remained in his tent. Before long, however, there
was a cry at the entrance, " Isigarsigak and his brother
are called upon to come out for a singing match " {nith-
songs or satirical songs). Although Isigarsigak had no
idea of singing, they made themselves smart and went
outside. They saw an enormous crowd of people all
going up hill, the men in front, the women following.
As soon as they were seen there was another shout,
" Let the men from East step forward." The brother of
Isigarsigak first performed a dance and retired. Isigar-
sigak himself was now summoned, but as he did not
know much about either singing or dancing he proposed
to his wife to advance, who was so smart and clever that
nobody could match her.
The brother of Isigarsigak being unmarried now took
a wife in this place ; but as his brothers-in-law came to
like him uncommonly well they would not allow him to
leave them. The year being far advanced, they all pre-
pared to cross to their own land, giving their boats new
covers. Though Isigarsigak had been greatly attached
to his brother, and did not like the idea of leaving him.
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426 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
he wished to die in his own country, and therefore made
ready to follow his countrymen. At length they started ;
but a little way off land Isigarsigak said to his people,
" It occurs to me that I forgot to divide our healing
remedy (viz., amulet for health and longevity). What a
pity ! we shall have to go back." Accordingly they went
back and unpacked the things again. Opening an old
box he produced something like a small bit of coal from
a fireplace — this being an amulet given to him and his
brother in common. He broke it into two pieces, and
gave one of them to his brother. The boat was again
loaded, and steering right out to sea, he turned round
to see the last of his brother, who stood watching them
on the beach in his white reindeer jacket They were
never to meet again, so he did not take his ^y&& off him
till he was quite lost to sight.
The boats safely reached their own shore without
encountering any storm. Isigarsigak now began seal-
hunting with his children, but in time these grew old
and died successively. Then he went out in company
with his grandchildren, as yet without losing strength
himself. It was not till his grandchildren were getting
aged that he began to feel a little less handy himself
He was much beloved by his grandchildren, and they
often went with him to a craggy reddish cliff, a favour-
ite spot of his, where a number of gulls had built their
nests, and the grandchildren's children would call to
him, saying, " Here we are at thy favourite cliff; do sing
to us. " He had a fine voice, and could also imitate the
cries of birds, which delighted the urchins beyond every-
thing. This generation also died, and their children be-
came his companions ; but his grandchildren's grand-
children had to carry him in a boat, and to treat him
like a child. His strong frame had now grown thin and
shrunk like that of a baby ; he ate almost nothing, and
to know whether he still breathed they used to hold a
bit of down before his nose. In passing by the bird's-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 427
cliff they would say, " Now we are at thy favourite spot ;
do sing a song : " and listening sharply, they could hear
a small feeble sound like the cry of a bird. At length
he began to suck his coverlet ; and one day when they
came to take him out as usual, they observed that the
feather before his mouth did not stir ; he had breathed
i his last. Isigarsigak never had his like with regard to
old age in this country (Greenland) ; he got quite as old
as Nivnitak. His younger brother may even have out-
lived hJhi, but he had never been heard of It is through
him that we are related to the people of Akilinek.
83.
ATALIANGUAK.
ATALI ANGUAK was an excellent seal-hunter, and
lived as a bachelor in a large house, together
with several cousins. At spring-time he used to go out
all by himself in his boat in order to fish angmagsat
(Capelins). One evening when he returned to his tent,
having been out kayaking, he was much surprised at
seeing a pretty little woman standing outside of it.
She wore a pair of white boots, and her hair-tuft was
newly dressed. Atalianguak ran quickly up beside her,
and taking hold of her hand brought her into the tent,
and afterwards married her. When the fishing season
came to an end he repaired homewards in his boat, his
wife rowing, while he himself took the helm. In autumn
he again settled down in the house of his cousins. One
evening just as his wife had risen from her seat on the
ledge to go outside, one of the other people, whom she
happened to pass by, remarked, " What a very peculiar
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428 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
smell I perceived ; " but his housemates told him to take
great care not to offend her, as they had observed that
she was not a woman of the common kind. The same
thing, however, happened again ; this time the little
woman hearing them speak of a strange smell rushed
quickly out, and the moment she passed the doorway
the people observed a fox-tail dangling at her back.
Atalianguak pursued her to the border of a lake. In a
fox-hole close by he noticed a light, and peeping in he
saw his wife sitting on a ledge. He called out* " I feel
so cold, let me come in." " Well, come." " But in what
way am I to enter ? " " Thou hast only to breathe upon
the entrance and thou wilt easily get in." Thus he en-
tered, and sitting down beside his wife, he exclaimed,
" It is dreadfully cold — do make me warm." At the
same time he saw one of the walls covered with flies,
dirt-flies, beetles, and all kinds of reptiles. She now
raised up her head and ordered them to lull Atalianguak
to sleep, and presently they all began singing, " Atali-
anguak, sleep, sleep ; at spring we will rouse thee again:"
and he slept for ever so long. At last he awoke of his
own accord, and when he rose and went outside the
sun was high in the sky, while the cave itself swarmed
with flies and reptiles. He went to make water, and
forthwith it turned to a whole river. From that time he
gave up all thought of womanhood.
T
84.
A VISIT TO THE GIANTS.
HE orphan boy Inoosarsuk was greatly loved by
his foster-mother, but not by his foster-father.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 429
One day, when the father was out on a seal-hunt, the
mother told Inoosarsuk she was tired of seal-flesh, and
ordered him out in her husband's other kayak to catch
some frog-fish. He remonstrated, saying that his father
had forbidden him to take the kayak ; but still she went
on desiring him to go, at the same time assuring him
she would clean and put it back all right in its place. •
Notwithstanding, the father coming home observed that
it had been used, and beat Inoosarsuk till he could not
move for pain. Another day his mother went on per-
suading him in the same way to take the kayak in order
to go out and get her some quannek (the eatable stalk
of Angelica archangelica\ growing near the shore, a little
up the firth. But when he had ascended the hills in
order to fetch her some, and came back to the beach, he
found, to his great alarm, that the tide had carried away
the half-jacket belonging to his foster-father's kayak.
On approaching home he got so frightened at the thought
of his foster-father that he passed it by and turned right
out to sea. Having rowed beyond the outermost islands
he suddenly remembered his two amulets, a quannek
and an old whetstone ; and jumping out on a flake of
drift-ice, he planted one of his newly-gathered stalks,
calling out, " Thus shalt thou remain standing erect," —
an invocation to secure him calm weather. Like Giviok,
he passed by the ocean-lice for Akilinek,^ and having
first encountered the cannibals, he afterwards fell in with
the women who captured fishes by putting bladders to
them at low tide. From the cannibals' chimney a black
smoke arose in the air, but from that of the latter a
white smoke was seen. Among these he was very kindly
treated, but still he at last grew tired of his sojourn ; and
one day pretending to row a little in the neighbourhood,
he took himself far off, and fled to the south. At length
he arrived at a wild firth ; but thinking it too long to
enter, he resolved merely to cross the inlet to the oppo-
site shore. When half-way across he saw what he fan-
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430 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
cied was a rock ; but on coming closer he found it to be
an enormously big kayaker, who took hold of him and
lifted him up quite easily, kayak and all, in one hand,
and put him down before himself on his own vessel, in-
tending to take him home as an amulet for his little
daughter. When they approached the homestead of
the giant, something like a big iceberg was standing in
front of the house ; on closer inspection it proved to
be an enormous gull, which the giant's daughter was in
the act of catching. Inoosarsuk was now brought up to
the house and put upon a shelf near the window. Dur-
ing the night he took a fancy to some very nice-looking
eatables lying behind the lamp. He managed to slide
down on the side ledge, but finding it quite filled up by
the giant's sleeping daughter, without any room left
where to put down his foot, he had no choice left but to
step along her one leg ; unfortunately he lost his footing
and fell down. The giant's daughter on being awakened
in this way, and unconsciously grasping him, had nearly
eaten him up, but luckily remembered that he was her
little amulet. The giant seeing Inoosarsuk's dismay
and utter dejection, at length put him down on the floor,
and covered him up with his large cloak, saying, " Thou
shalt grow as big as that, as big as that." He forthwith
commenced to grow, and was soon as tall as the daugh-
ter, after which the giant furnished him with a kayak of
suitable size. He now remembered his foster-parents ;
and longing to take revenge for the many blows he had
formerly got, he crossed the ocean, and soon found the
place where they had formerly lived. But the house
was laid waste, and the old people buried beneath its
ruins. He then returned to pass the rest of his days at
Akilinek.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 43 1
85.
K A G S U K.
[The story here given as having happened in the districts of Holsteinsborg
and Sukkertoppen, in Greenland, is perhaps a variant of an older
tale, only localised in this way. We give it here in an abridged form.]
IT is said that Kagsuk once had his wintering-place
on the Karsit islands, outside of Amerdlok (Hol-
steinsborg), and that his son married the only sister of
some men living at Satok, near Maneetsok (Sukkertop-
pen). Kagsuk, as well as his son, were powerful and
strong men ; the former was also a man-slayer, invincible
to his enemies. Once, when the son had been out during
the day with his brothers-in-law, at evening, when it was
growing dark^ he had some talk with his wife that ended
in a quarrel. Her brothers, fearing his strength, at first
kept silence ; but soon after, when he gave her a kick,
they all went up ta him ?ind seized him in order to pro-
tect their sister. He tried to appease their wrath, but
in vain, and at last they struck him with a knife ; but
every time he was wounded he only rubbed the place
with his hand, and directly it healed, after which he
knocked them all down, one after another. From this
time, however, he did not trust his brothers-in-law ; and
once, at dark night, he escaped from the house, leaving
his kayak behind, and taking his way across the fast ice
to the north, where he stayed a while with some other
people, and at length came to the house of his father.
When Kagsuk came to know how his son had been
treated he got into a great rage. In vain the son tried
to persuade him to delay his revenge. " If they have
struck thee with a knife," he replied, " we will set out
and destroy the people of Satok this very night." And
off they went the same day for Satok, and slew the whole
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432 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
of them, only sparing a boy and a girL On returning to
Karsit, Kagsuk became a still more desperate murderer.
The people of Amerdlok, on becoming aware of this, did
not venture themselves far away from the shore. Kag-
suk and his son, being both very suspicious, agreed on
the following mode of life : If the weather was fine, the
son went out kayaking alone, and when the father went
out, the son remained at home, unless it happened to
blow very hard, in which case, and then only, they went
out together. One winter, when the days were begin-
ning to lengthen, two kayakers from Amerdlok, while
out seal-hunting, were overtaken by a snowstorm,^ and
could not make out their own land. Bewildered, they
came to Kagsuk's house ; at seeing which they got very
frightened, lest he would kill them. As soon as they
saw him come out of his house, and before he could utter
a word, they said, " Chance brought us hither, and no
intention of visiting you. We lost our way on account
of the snow, and could not advance against the storm."
Kagsuk asked them to come on shore, adding that, as
soon as the weather abated, they might set off for home.
On hearing this they were reassured, and entered the
house, which was very hot. Kagsuk talked a great deal
the whole day ; but in the evening, when it was still
blowing a gale and snowing as fast as ever, he suddenly
became silent. At length he inquired, "Which kayak
is he using to-day ? " The housemates answered, " The
narrow one." Kagsuk then remarked, " I was rather
uneasy about him ; but if he has taken that kayak I have
no fear." Later in the evening there was a cry that he
had arrived, tugging a walrus; and when the people
whose business it was to haul it up on shore had gone
out, Kagsuk said, " They don't intend to stop, but having
'lost their way, chanced to come in here much against
their will." The guests, looking round, then first dis-
covered that he was speaking to his son, who appeared
in the entrance, and already had bent his bow and was
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 433
aiming at them, but now drew back, and directly after
entered, asking if the guests had been offered something
to eat On hearing that they had as yet had nothing,
he ordered different dishes to be set before them, saying
he would share the repast with them. They afterwards
went to rest, and slept quietly until Kagsuk roused them
up, saying that now the weather was fine, they might as
well start for their home. At their departure he ordered
their kayaks to be filled with provisions, but at the same
time added, " Take care that none of your people come
hither to visit us, lest we should take their lives," They
then pushed off, and arrived safely at their home. But
when the people of Amerdlok saw the stores they had
brought with them, they were all keen to visit Kagsuk ;
and notwithstanding their being repeatedly warned by
those two chance visitors of what Kagsuk had threatened,
several among them would not desist from trying their
chance. They went accordingly, but never returned.
Among the kayakers lost in this way were the sons
of two old men, who were very clever in magic spells.
They prepared bows of an arm's length, and having
finished these, they said to their place-fellows, " Now we
will set out to punish Kagsuk : while ye approach his
house from the sea-side, we will come on from behind."
Kagsuk had for his amulet a toogdlik (the Great Northern
Diver — Colymbus glacialis) perched on the roof of his
house, and giving him notice of every impending danger.
One day on hearing its cry he went out, and observing
the kayakers approaching, he said, " All right ; I see you."
But at the same moment the two old men, having escaped
observation by means of magic spells, came stealing on
from behind and shot him dead on the spot. The kay^-
akers, coming on shore, killed all his housemates, with
the exception of his son, who happened not to be at
home, and afterwards fled to the north.
Note.— Some narrators have prolonged the story of Kagsagsuk (No. i)
by making him meet with Kagsuk in the far north, the house of the latter
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434 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
being situated on a wide plain, the entrance to it being provided with a
string leading into the inner room, and all along hung with a row of pieces
of walrus - teeth, for the purpose of announcing the entrance of every
stranger by the rattling sound.
86.
THE DREAM AND CONVERSION OF
AKAMALIK.
[This tradition appears to rest upon an event mentioned by Crantz in his
* Historic von Gronland,' p. 561, as having taken place in the year
1743 ; but it i^ given here in a very much abridged form, from two
manuscripts, a great portion of which was merely copied out from the
New Testament, and some other religious books.]
IN the days when missionaries had come to Nook
(Goothaab with New-Herrnhut), but people in other
places were still heathens, there lived in the south a
clever and skilful seal-hunter, named Akamalik, who
had a cousin of whom he was very fond. However, it
chanced that this friend of his fell ill and died, which
caused him much grief, and sorely depressed his spirits.
As chance would have it, the women of the place at that
time brought forth no sons, and his own wife being
childless, he could get no namesake for his deceased
friend. He henceforth fell into the habit of ill-treating
his wife, kicking her and piercing her skin with an awl.
After some time it was rumoured that a woman of a
neighbouring place had borne a child and named it after
his friend. On hearing this, Akamalik at once hastened
thither, and was so glad at seeing the babe that he was
quite unable to sleep for five succeeding nights. Having
returned home, sleep at length was again restored to
him, and then he dreamt as follows : Some one peeped
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 43S
in at the window, and calling out for him, said that he
was to come and get his piece of blubber from a young
whale which was just being caught. He at once went
out and followed the voice, the owner of which he now
perceived was a woman. In running after her he came
across a vast plain, stretching forth like the surface of
the ocean, and gradually rising. It became brighter and
always brighter ; he passed over heaps of sand, rolling
dreadfully like a mountain-river, and saw a crowd of
people playing at ball with a walrus-head. Akamalik
would fain have stopped and joined the players, but the
woman hurried him on, and, almost against his will, he
constantly followed her. However, he wondered greatly ;
for in those people, on close view, he plainly recognised
men who had died a number of years ago. He then
came to three high steps, which it appeared impossible
to ascend ; but merely looking at his guide, he gave a
leap and almost unwillingly mounted them. From the
top he again saw before him a great plain, and a crowd
of people in beautiful clothing ; among them he recog-
nised a man in the murder of whom he himself had
taken an active part many years ago, and could not but
be astonished at hearing people talk in answer to what
he was thinking of but had not yet spoken out. Voices
were then heard calling the crowd to divine service : the
people all sallied forth, and he followed their steps, pass-
ing over a dreadful abyss with fires burning down in the
depths ; then they ascended still higher to a place so
dazzlingly bright and beautiful as he never had seen
before. Here the Saviour Himself was preaching and
leading the song of innumerable people. The Saviour
spoke to Akamalik, reproaching him with his sins, at
the same time pointing out to him the abyss, where He
told him that tornarsuk resided in the depths, and ad-
vised him, saying, " Next summer thou must repair thee
to Nook for the purpose of getting instructed." The
Saviour guided him on his way back across the abyss,
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 43/
and thus going downwards, on approaching the earth
again he (viz., his soul) beheld his own poor body, walk-
ing backwards and forwards all void of intellect, people
believing him to be mad. It appeared very uncouth in
his sight, all covered with maggots; but though he
greatly abhorred it, he nevertheless entered into it,
having no other abode. Having thus put on the garb
of his body, he became like dead and lay in a swoon.
By-and-by he recovered his reason, and was awake. He
then repented his profligate life, went to Nook in the
spring, and was baptised by the Moravian missionaries.
He not only became a Christian by name, but also a
good man and a loving husband.
[Note. — Of the following Tales only the principal parts have been
selected, and are given here in a very fragmentary foi-m.]
87. Sangiak, or Nerngajorak. — A man whose
wife could beget no children was advised by an old
wise man to set off in his kayak, and go out to the
open sea, and when he heard a voice like that of a child
crying, he was to proceed in that direction, and would
then find a worm, which he was to take home and throw
upon the body of his wife. Having done it, the worm
disappeared in the body of his wife, who soon gave
birth to a son, whom they called Sangiak. While he
was yet a small child, he asked his father for a kayak ;
and when following his father out to sea, he surprised
him by hitting two seals, though he only threw his har-
poon once. He acquired the art of always taking the
whole flock of seals by only throwing at one of them.
At last his father hardly knew how to bring home all
the seals he captured. Once Sangiak happened to get
acquainted with another seal-hunter, who could ajso j
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438 TALES AND TRADITIONS,
take two seals at a time, but only by means of two
harpoons, which he threw one with each hand at once.
This double-armed kayaker being much beloved by his
companions, Sangiak grew envious of him ; and once
when he went out alone with him to sea, he picked
a quarrel with him, and killed him. He then told his
father what had happened, and that he would give the
relatives of the double-armed notice of the murder. The
relatives would fain have avenged it ; but he took flight
in his kayak, which, though his enemies had cut holes
in its bottom, did not sink. Having filled his kayak
with stones, he stopped the holes with them, and re-
turned to his father safe and sound.
88. Atlunguak was a miserable hunter, despised
and mocked by his housemates, who only saw in
him a poor wretch always sitting behind his mother's
lamp, and feeding upon what the others brought home.
But when some deed of special daring, which no one
else cared to undertake, was on hand, he at length
bestirred himself, and braved the danger alone. Thus,
he first killed an ice-covered bear, then an amarok, and
finally a kilivfak (all fabulous animals).
89. Nakasungnak travelled far up north, and set-
tled down with some people who used boats, but no
kayaks. He was very presumptuous and obstinate.
His new place-fellows told him that before long the
ice-covered bear would make its appearance, that it was
very dangerous, and for mere men a deed impractica-
ble to slay it. But Nakasungnak, nothing heeding, set
out to encounter the terrible animal ; and on discover-
ing it, he ran in upon it only armed with a knife. He
instantly disappeared down its open mouth. The bear
was then seen to totter, and soon after fell down dead.
On approaching it, they observed a knife sticking out
between its ribs ; and when the hole was widened
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 439
Nakasungnak jumped out of it ; but his hair, as well
as the skin of his face, had come off, and shivering with
cold and ague, he ran away to the house. In the mean-
time, the bear's flesh served them for food the greater
part of the winter. Afterwards they told Nakasungnak
how to behave wheq they were going to catch the birds
that could speak, and the little fishes with both eyes on
one side. The swarms of birds and fishes appeared ;
but Nakasungnak would not follow the advice they
gave him, and consequently got none. Lastly, they
told him that gnats were soon expected, the size of
sea-fowls, and with stings like the point of an arrow ;
and when the swarms were approaching, and seen to
come on like broken clouds from the south, the people
had to retreat to their tents and close them with all
care. Nakasungnak, however, again disregarded their
warnings, and took no notice of what they had said.
When the clouds appeared, and all the others sped into
their tents, he remained outside. When all was over,
and they went out to look for Nakasungnak, they found
only a skeleton lying beneath the boat
90. The Anghiak. — A company of brothers had
a single sister, and would not allow her to marry.
Nevertheless, having many suitors, she finally came to
be with child ; and because of her brothers' reproaches,
she secretly had a miscarriage ; but the child got intel-
lect, and became an anghiak. It picked up the skull
of a dog, using it as a kayak, and the bone of a man's
arm for a paddle. Every night it used to creep into
the house and lie down to suckle its mother's breasts,
but during the day-time it was about pursuing her
brothers when they were kayaking, and made them
capsize and perish one after another. Having accom-
plished its revenge, it repented its deeds, and fled to
the north, where it slipped down in the doorway of a
house in which a conjuration was going on. The
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440 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
angakok (by means of his second - sight) at once
observed its approach ; and when the people of the
house had got a light, and went to look for it, they
were all frightened to death. It then became still more
powerful, but went back again to its mother's abode,
and found a refuge in a heap of rubbish. It now
happened that the angakok of the place was about
to perform a conjuration for the purpose of finding out
what had caused the brothers' destruction. The sister,
on being examined, first denied, but finally she con-
fessed her sin, saying, " What I brought forth was no
real child." No sooner had she pronounced these words
than the anghiak felt a pain in its head, and while she
continued her tale, it lost its senses and died
91. The Moon. — Several stories are told about people
travelling to the moon. The following are specimens of
these myths.
Kanaka on fleeing from mankind, felt himself lifted
up from the ground, and following the way of the dead.
At length he lost his senses, and on awakening again
found himself in front of the house where the spirit (or
owner) of the moon resided. This man of the moon
assisted him to get inside, which was a perilous under-
taking, the entrance being very large, and guarded by
a terrible dog. The moon-man having then breathed
upon Kanak in order to ease the pain that racked his
limbs, and having restored him to health, spoke thus :
" By the way thou camest no man ever returned ; this
is the way thou must take," — upon which he opened a
door, and pointed out to him a hole in the floor, from
which he could overlook the surface of the earth, with
all the dwelling-places of man. He regaled him with
eating, which was served and brought in by a woman,
whose back was like that of a skeleton. Kanak was
getting afraid on perceiving that, on which the moon-
man said, " Why, that's nothing ; but lo ! soon the old
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 44 1
woman will appear who takes out the entrails of every-
one she can tempt to laugh. If thou canst not with-
hold thy smiles, thou only needst to rub thy leg under-
neath the knee with the nail of thy little finger." Soon
after the old hag entered dancing and whirling about,
licking her own back, and putting on the most ridicu-
lous gestures ; but when Kanak rubbed his leg with the
nail of his little finger, she gave a sudden start, at which
the moon-man seized her, and threw her down in the
entrance. She went off, but afterwards a voice was
heard, "She has left her knife and her platter, and if
she does not get both, she says she will overthrow the ^
pillars of heaven." The moon-man having thrown the
knife and platter down the entrance, again opened the
hatch in the floor, and blowing through a great pipe, he
showed Kanak ho^V he made it snow upon the earth.
Lastly, he said to him, " Now it is time to leave me,
but do not be the least afraid, lest thou never shalt
come alive." He then pushed him down through the
opening, on which Kanak swooned ; and on recovering,
he heard the voice of his grandmother, whose spirit had
followed and taken care of him ; and at length he
reached the earth's surface, arose and went to his home,
after which he grew a celebrated angakok.
A Barren Wife^ who was treated badly by her hus-
band, went off one winter night and met with the
moon-man, who came driving in his sledge, and took
her along with him to his home. Many days after in
spring, she again appeared, and went to live with her
husband. Ere long she perceived that she was with
child, and gave birth to a son, who when he grew up
was taken away by the moon-man.
Manguaraky unheeding the warnings of his father,
caught a white whale which, having a black spot on
one side, was known to belong to the animals of chase
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442 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
set apart for the spirit of the moon. On a fine win-
ter night the moon-man was heard to call him out-
side and challenge him to fight. When he came down
upon the ice, the moon-man said, " Well, we will pre-
sently begin, but first let us name all the animals of
chase we have caught during our lifetime." They then,
each in his turn, named the different sorts of birds, seals,
and whales they had chased ; and beginning with* the
fishes, Manguarak went on to tell how he once assisted
at a halibut-fishing, when they happened to haul up a
KdraK {Anarrichas lupus). On hearing this, the moon-
man exclaimed, " What art thou saying, man ? Now
just wait, and listen to me." He then went on to tell
how, when a child, and still living among mankind, he
had once seen some people haul up a fish of that same
kind, at which he was so terrified that he had never
since tried to catch that fish. "And now," he con-
tinued, '* that I know thou hast caught an animal which
I never ventured to pursue, I will do thee no harm. I
begin, in fact, rather to like thee ; so come along with
me and see my place." Manguarak accordingly w^ent
up to ask his father's permission, which having gained,
he returned to the ice, where he found the moon-man
waiting with a sledge drawn only by a single dog.
When he had taken his place on the sledge, away they
drove at a great pace, and gradually rising from the
ground, they seemed to fly through the air. At mid-
night they came to a high land, upon which they still
travelled on. They went through a valley covered with
snow, and had to pass by a dark-looking cliff, inside of
which lived the old hag who was wont to cut out the
entrails of people who could not forbear laughing. As
to the rest of the adventures of Manguarak, they are
much the same as those encountered by Kanak.
92. The Woman who wanted to be a Man.
— A woman named Arnarkuak would not give up scold-
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 443
ing her son on account of his want of skill in hunting
and other manly pursuits. Once in his absence, when
he had gone out kayaking, she forced her daughter-
in-law, by threatening her with death, to flee with her
to the interior of the country, where she disguised
herself like a man, and had her daghter-in-law, Ukua-
mak, for a wife. But the son found out their place of
refuge, and killed his despicable mother.
93. An Angakok Flight. — A great angakok,
being once called upon to perform a conjuration, took
a thong of seal-skin, and having in one end cut a hole
for his toe, he twisted it round his body, and made
fast the other end to his head. When the lamps had
been all extinguished, he was lifted up, and soaring
about the house he made the roof lift and give way to
him. Having escaped through the opening he flew to
the inland, and came to a house inhabited only by .
women, but as soon as he tried to approach any of them
the house-pillar (their enchanted husband) began to
emit sparks of fire and lead towards him. The next
time he flew to the inland he was seized hold of by the
inlanders, who essayed to play at ball with him, hurling
him backwards and forwards between them till he was
nearly dead, when he called his tornak, who quickly
rescued him. The third time he came to his sister, who
had disappeared many years before, but whom he now
found married to an inlander ; she gave him a piece of
reindeer-skin as a token to take home with him in order
to convince people of his really having been with her.
94. The Means for getting Children. — A
married couple had in vain been in hope of getting
children. At length the man set out in search of
some means to attain their desire. The first summer
he travelled as far as he could get to the north, and the
next as far as possible to the south, before he succeeded
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444 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
in finding an old woman who promised to help him.
From the bottom of her bag she produced two small
dried fishes, a male and a female, of which he was to
give his wife the former to eat if he wanted a son, and
the latter in case they preferred a daughter. He re-
ceived the fishes, and started on his way home; but
having to travel very far, and not always being able to
get any victuals, he once in a great strain for something
to eat began to consider, " What is the use of keeping
this spawner ? a son is what we desire ; " on which he
swallowed the one little fish. After a while he began
to feel very ill at ease, at the same time growing big-
ger and bigger, till at length he could hardly manage to
slip down in his kayak. A skilful old woman, who lived
at a place where he happened to land, soon suspected
what was the matter with him, and hit on a charm to
deliver him of what was encumbering his inside, which
soon proved to be a finfe little daughter. (It is doubt-
ful whether the rest of the tale is of genuine Eskimo
origin.)
95. Kanginguak was a native of the south, who
set forth on a journey and took up his abode near Uma-
narsuak (Kin of Sael, a high island of South Greenland).
He had a son named Tunerak, who was such an expert
rower that he used to overtake the falcons in their flight,
and killed them with a blow of his paddle-oar. He
went out to sea so far as to make Umanarsuak appear
like a seal diving up and down among the waves. He
also tried matches with celebrated kayakers, but on one
of these occasions he was killed by his rival. His father
afterwards went to the place where he was buried, brought
out his body again and carried it along with him, till he
found an angakok, who restored it to life.
96. Kigdlinararsuk, in order to avenge the mur-
der of his sister, went out in search of an old woman
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 445
who could assist him in getting an amulet for giving
swiftness to a boat. The first one he came to replied,
" I have grown rather old to no purpose (viz., without
having acquired wisdom), I am only clever in — —
,^ but farther north I have an elder sister more
cunning than I ; first try thy luck with her, and if thou
dost not succeed TU see what can be done." He then
went farther, and came to another old hag, who gave
him for an amulet a small bit of a dried Merganser
{Mergus serrator). This he inserted in the prow of the
boat with such care that no marks or joints were visible.
Twice he tried it before the boat appeared swift enough
to run down a flying Merganser, and not till then did
he start to encounter his adversaries.
97. A Man living on Karusuk (in the firth of
Goothaab) every day used to repair to Kangek (about
24 miles distant) for the purpose of hunting auks.
For his companion he had an ingnersuak, wha at
the same time was the tornak of an angakok, living
farther up the firth at Tukak. It is said that even now-
adays many kayakers have an ingnersuak for their
companion, and every now and then they become visible.
Sometimes a kayaker observing two distinct kayaks at
a distance, on coming nearer will only meet with one,
who on being questioned is not aware of any other having
been with him. In such cases people believe it to have
been an ingnersuak, on account of their being invisible,
excepting from a great distance. The said ingnersuak
in the short winter days came to Karasuk, waited until
he saw the man ready to start for Kangek, and then
followed, and took care of him the whole day, and re-
* The original words I have not ventured to translate, sufficiently
characteristic though they are of the modesty which it is considered neces-
sary by the Eskimo to assume on such occasions as that described in the
text. It would have been scarcely possible for the old woman to have
claimed skill in a manufacture more lowly than that of which the words
omitted would have been a translation.
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446 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
turned with him to Karusuk, from whence he went on
to his home at Tukak.
98. Atarsuatsiak and his brothers were a set of
fearful manslayers, living in the country about Uper-
nivik (Greenland), who had their heads tattooed with a
separate mark for each murder they had committed.
On Atarsuatsiak these marks formed a whole row along
his forehead from one side to the other. At last the
people of the neighbouring places resolved upon having
him killed at a place to which he used to resort in
order to visit his concubine.
99. Among the last Angakut at Kanger-
DLUGSUATSIAK (Greenland) was a man named Kapi-
arsuk, and a woman called Avangnanersuak, who every
day during the whole winter used to go out together
to catch partridges, but never brought any home,
and never were seen to eat anything at all. At last
a child, who was anxious as to their doings, one day
asked leave to accompany them, and soon observed that
they never looked for any partridges at all ; but having
come a good way up the country, Kapiarsuak com-
menced to strike a flat rock with his staff, and murmur-
ing certain words, an opening appeared in the ground,
out of which they went on angling and hauling up dif-
ferent kinds of food, allowing the child to partake of
the good fare. On going home they gave it a small fish
to swallow, after which it lost all remembrance of what
it had seen. Not until he was full grown, many years
after, did he suddenly recollect the event and narrate it.
Another angakok of the same place, named Kuvat-
siak, had two brothers, Usuinak and Igpak, of whom the
former, having gone out kayaking, did not return, and
entirely disappeared. In the evening they saw the
clothes of the missing brother moving about by them-
selves. Kuvatsiak forthwith began to conjure, by means
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of which he found out that he had been seized by the
ingnersuit. Kuvatsiak had a dream somewhat like that
of Akamalik ; and when he began growing old he often
met with his deceased brother out at sea. He observed
some black thing lying on the top of his brother's kayak,
who laboured in vain to rid himself of it, saying that
that was the only impediment hindering him from
leaving the under-world people and returning to the land
of the living. When the first missionary came to the
country Kuvatsiak had a dream that induced him to get
baptised.
icx). Atungak, a Tale from Labrador. — A
man namd Atungak had two wives. One of them
having run away, he pursued her in his sledge, and
soon overtook her. They then travelled together, and
came to cannibals, whose chief invited them to his house,
and set before them a dish of man's and wolves* brains
mixed together. When they declined eating it, another
was served consisting of the flesh of a child and of a
walrus; and this also being rejected, they brought in
dried reindeer-flesh, which they ate with hearty appetite.
Meanwhile the people got hold of some children, and
feigning to pet them they killed them and sucked out
their brains. A young lad was also there who carried
a sling wherewith to entangle strangers ; but when he
approached Atungak with this design he was struck on
the head with a piece of pyrites-stone, and fell to the
ground. Afterwards, when his mother came from an-
other house to look for him she only found one of his
legs left, lying under the bench, with the boot still on
it, by means of which she recognised it. She then ex-
claimed, " Ye have done very ill in taking that miser-
able Ajajusek, who ought to have served his younger
brother for food." Atungak and his wife travelling on,
came to a country the people of which were all lame.
Before they reached them the chief came to receive
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448 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
them, and warned them against his people as being a
very ill-natured set Nevertheless, when Atungak's
wife saw their ball-playing, she could not help laughing,
and said that they hopped about like so many ravens.
Atungak got very much afraid when he heard the by-
standers repeating this. He at once cut asunder all the
lashings of the sledges belonging to the lame people, so
that they could not pursue them. Hastening from there
they came to two black bears engaged in a fight, and no
other way being left they were obliged to pass between
them ; after which they came to a pot boiling of itself,
which they could not avoid crossing over. Lastly, they
came to a man watching at the breathing-hole of a seal,
and on speaking to him they recognised him as Atun-
gak's son, whom they had left behind a child. They
had travelled over the whole world without changing or
getting old. In the north, caves and clefts in the rocks
are still to be seen, in which they are said to have
rested.
Note. — This story, and the next from East Greenland, being both im-
perfect fragments, received from the most widely severed Eskimo coun-
tries, will be found to contain some very curious similarities.
loi. Malarsuak, a Storv from East Green-
land.— A man named Malarsuak started in search of
his lost sister. Travelling by sledge, he came to houses
inhabited by cannibals, with one of which he found
his sister domesticated. A hideous-looking youth came
into the house, whom Malarsuak killed by piercing
his head with a bear's tooth fastened into a stick, where-
upon the host threw the dead body under the bench.
Some time after a woman appeared, saying, •* Is this not
my miserable son here — I mean the one who ought to
serve as food for his brothers?" Malarsuak travelled
homewards, but came back on a visit, bringing his wife
and a little child with him. The cannibals robbed them
of their child. When going to leave, the brother-in-law
tried to persuade him first to cut all the lashings of his
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 449
place-fellows* sledges, in order to prevent their pursuing
the travellers. Malarsuak took his advice, but happened
to forget one of the sledges, which came speeding after
him ; but he killed the driver and made his escape himself.
102. A Tale from Labrador. — Sikuliarsiujuit-
sok, on account of his great size, was unable to walk
upon new ice. He, all by himself, caught a whale from
his kayak. But he was much dreaded and hated, and
never ventured to sleep in strange places. He was,
however, once persuaded to stay for a night in a snow-
hut ; and being too big to find room in it, he lay all
doubled up, and allowed his feet to be tied together.
In this condition he was hauled out and killed, but not
before he himself had killed four men in the struggle.
He had three sisters, one of whom had three sons, like-
wise powerful men. They had an enclosure, fenced in
with stones, into which they enticed all those they in-
tended to kill.
103. Aklaujak, a Tale from Labrador. — A
man named Aklaujak was of immense strength. Once,
when away on a reindeer-hunt, his brothers robbed
him 'of his wife. But the mother, who from a high
hill observed him sitting in his kayak and seizing two
large reindeers by the antlers and drowning them by
holding them under water, hastened down and per-
suaded the wife to return to him, on which the brothers
took flight.
104. The Giant of Kangersuak or Cape Fare-
well.— The people from the south (or east) and
those from the north (or west) were at war with each
other. The latter had a powerful champion, who was
sitting on the top of Kangersuak to watch the South-
landers passing by. A man who had been killed
by him left a son, who practised angakok science, and
2 F
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450 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
revenged his father by inducing the giant to walk with
him over a marshy plain, where he went down, and
from beneath pierced the feet of the giant, and after-
wards killed him.
105. The Kidnappers. — ^A band of brothers tried
to carry off a girl by force ; but her mother, by means
of a magic lay, caused them all to perish in a sudden
gale. Some time after, an angakok, who had been out'
kayaking, stated that he had seen a shoal of dolphins ;
and listening to their speech, he made them out to be
those brothers, who had been thus transformed.
106. The Visiting Animals.— An old man, while
staying in a firth to fish for salmon, lost his son, who
died at some distance up the country. In his grief be
could not persuade himself to leave his son's grave,
and he therefore put up his winter-house on the spot.
In this lonely abode they were once surprised by seeing
three men entering the house, one of them tall and long-
nosed, the other smaller and with a flat nose, and the
last of very small stature and white as snow. After
passing the evening talking with the host, the short-
nosed man, before starting, asked for a piece of sole-
leather, and the white one wanted a piece of walrus-
tooth. The old man saw the departing visitors out,
but when they left him, stood dumfoundered at seeing
them bounding off in the shape of a reindeer, a fox, and
a hare. It is said that the hare had need of something
for a new tooth.
107. AviGlATSlAK was the name of a young wo-
man who, while grinding her knife on the beach, was
taken by a whale. After living for a time with the
whales, she fled and was transformed into a seal, living
with the seals. As such she was caught by a man, hauled
upon the ice, and cut to pieces, all excepting the head.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 45 I
which was thrown beneath the bench. From thence she
slipped into the womb of the man's wife who had har-
pooned her, and was afterwards born anew, and called
Avigiatsialc.
io8. The Bird's Cliff. — A father and his son,
while kayaking far off the land, fell in with a kayariak,
who at once gave chase to them. They fortunately
escaped by jumping out on a flake of ice, from which
they struck their persecutor dead; but before sinking
into the sea he spat repeatedly, turning round to all
parts of the horizon, on which a dense fog arose, causing
them to wander, and preventing their gaining their home.
At last they reached land, and the father, being angakok,
soon perceived a house and entered it. They found one
side of it inhabited by black people, and the other by
white ones. After staying a while and having some
talk with the inmates on both sides, they left the house ;
but on looking behind them, they saw that the house
was a cave in the rock, the inhabitants gulls and ravens,
and a droUish visitor staying with them, a falcon.
109. KuANAK, AN Angakok in South Green-
land, started for a flight, having previously had his
feet and his head tied together. While passing along
between two high rocks, an amarsiniook rushed out
from the mountain-side and wanted to take him into
his hood. He made his escape by dropping into the
sea, and proceeding onwards beneath the surface of the
sea and the earth, finally emerged from the floor of
his own house. Another time, when he had gone off on
a flight, his drum, which he had left in the house, was
lifted up by itself, and soared about in the room till at
length it stopped and fell down. At that same moment
a voice was heard from without, and hastening to look
whence it came, they found him in an almost dying
state lying upon the snow, an old skin-cover from a
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452 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
kayak having frightened him and caused his downfall.
Kuanak was once capsized by a seal he had just har-
pooned ; but being an anghiniartok, his senses again
returned, and he found himself at the bottom of the sea,
in company with his grandmother. She tied his kayak-
jacket close to his body, leaving no part of it uncovered,
and then supplying him with a piece of skin by way of
kayak, she pushed him upwards. When he emerged
from the water he first betook himself far out to sea,
and thence made the land again, but happened to touch
at an inhabited place, where somebody was emptying
out the urine-tub, which scared him away from the shore.
He tried to land on another place, but here a woman,
dressing her hair on the beach, scared him away. If he
had a third time taken fright, he would never have re-
turned to the land of the living. But he happened to
land at Pisugfik, where a couple of old men were sitting
playing at dice. They at once knew him to be an ang-
hiniartok ; and on merely touching his nak^d body, he
dropped down senseless ; but on their chanting a magic
lay, he revived. They then brought him back to his
homestead, where his relatives, who had already finished
their days of mourning and nearly forgotten him, were
gladly surprised at hearing the crew of the boat that
brought him home intuning Kuanak's song. /
no. An Angakok on Kekertarsuak set off
in his sledge to visit his married sister. On approach-
ing the house his dogs suddenly stopped. After in
vain trying to urge them on with his whip, he alighted
and went up to the house on foot. But seeing no people
about, he looked in at the window, and was horror-struck
at seeing all the people lying or sitting about lifeless,
their eyes open and staring. His sister alone showed
signs of life, and seeing her brother, began to move her
mouth as if chewing, and crept towards the entrance.
At sight of this he was struck with terror, and fled to his
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 453
dogs, but was again unable to make them stir. Not until
the sister had come quite close, her mouth widely opened
as if to devour him, did they suddenly start ; and thus
he escaped to his home. Afterwards he performed a
conjuration, and undertook an angakok flight to examine
the place. On his return he reported that those people
had been frightened to death by the sight of a skin-cover
from a kayak (viz., which had been used at a funeral to
carry the corpse upon).
III. SiNGAJUK AND HIS DESCENDANTS. — Sin-
gajuk was a celebrated hunter living in Kangek (near
Godthaab). His wife miscarried, and brought forth a
poor little wretch of a child, that was swaddled in the
skin of an eider-duck, and had to be fostered with the
utmost care to keep it alive. This child was called Man-
gilak, and became one of the most powerful of men. His
first deed was killing an ingnersuak. Afterwards he was
once caught in a gale of wind at sea, but espying a soli-
tary spot of smooth water and a gull swimming in it, by
dint of listening to its voice he learned a spell for procur-
ing a calm ; and from that time he was not to be equalled
in kayaking. His mother then persuaded him to marry,
and he took a wife, who, however, shortly afterwards
died. Being almost a wizard, he used to visit her grave
and talk with the deceased, and on one occasion she
gave him a mussel-shell containing a drink to endow
him with angakok wisdom. Mangilak married a second
wife, and got a son, called Akajarok, whose daughter
became the grandmother of the man who related this
story (to the author). Akajarok died a Christian. Man-
gilak also was baptised, and named Moses, but was too
full of angakok wisdom to become more than a nominal
Christian.
112. The Cousins. — This tale is somewhat similar
to No. 15, but in the present version the revenge is
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454 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
brought on by an angakok, who assisted the cousins on
a flight, and while staying with them invoked his tornak,
the toolik, who carried a red-hot weapon, and destroyed
the house and all its inhabitants by fire, while the anga-
kok flew homewards. After his return to his house,
while narrating the deed to his people, a laughing voice
was heard from without, recognised as that of his erkun-
gasok (the ingenious and cunning adviser, but rather
powerless and boasting dweller among the tornaks). who
came to give notice of his having also assisted at the
destruction of his enemies.
113. Manik was a great seal-hunter, but his mother
in vain urged him to take a wife. He continued a
bachelor, till one day he suddenly ordered his mother to
make ready the boat for removing from the place. As
soon as she had made all ready, he hastened up to the
house of the chief hunter, who at the time was absent, and
carried away his daughter, crying and struggling in vain
to be released. Having placed her on the boat he at
once pushed off", and made for the north with all speed.
At the first inhabited place they came past he again
carried away a woman ; and this continued until he had
got a complete boat's crew of rowing girls. He con-
tinued his voyage the whole season, till at length, having
reached the far north, the frost set in, and for the time
obliged him to take up his quarters there. While win-
tering here, and making excursions into the country,
he once came to a solitary house, where he had an ad-
venturous meeting with the ghost of a deceased woman ;
and from tliere he came to another, where he found
the people feasting upon various meats, which they kept
hauling from the ground by help of magic lays. The
next year he set out for his own country, returning to
their relatives all the women, excepting only the first
one, whom he kept for his wife.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 455
1 14. The Land of the Isarukitsok Bird (Alca
impennis), a story from South Greenland. — Two young
men with one elder companion lost their way when
kayaking in foggy weather, and having roamed about
without being able to sight any land, they came to
a high promontory, showing one continuous steep
and inaccessible cliff, inhabited by crowds of isarukit-
soks. By following the coast they at last came to a
landing-place, and found a nice situation, where they
rested themselves, and had their strength restored by
eating birds. Having also filled their kayaks with them,
they put off to sea again, and happened to pass by one
of the monstrous gulls which are in the habit of picking
up the kayakers and giving them as food to their young
ones ; but they reached their home in safety. It is told
that before the land of the isarukitsok sank there were
plenty of these birds about Nook (Godthaab).
115. Kakortuliak was at a reindeer-hunt, when
they only succeeded in hitting one large deer, which
made its escape by jumping into a lake. Kakortuliak,
however, pursued it by swimming, and fastened a line
to its antlers, by which it was hauled on land. He got
a large piece of the tallow, and leaving the party, went
off by himself in search of further game. He saw two
ravens pursuing one another ; but on viewing them more
closely they had the features of man. At the same
moment a reindeer suddenly bounded forth, apparently
from his own bag ; and he found the tallow at the same
time had disappeared, a little morsel only remaining.
He then felt himself lifted off his feet and carried away
through the air ; but by rubbing his skin with the bit of
tallow he again quickly descended towards the earth ;
yet without touching it he gained his home. On arriv-
ing, however, he had lost the use of his senses, and lay
down almost lifeless, though unable to die. Such was.
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4S6 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
as has been told, the condition of the heathen when the
ruler of the moon had taken the souls out of their
body. From this time Kakortuliak gave up hunting, and
turned a clairvoyant. His soul used to leave the body
and roam about the inland and along the east coast ;
and on returning he related what he had seen, and how
he had lived with the inlanders.
ii6. The Kuinasarinook. — Uvnek, one of the last
angakut at the firth of Godthaab, on one of his spirit-
flights narrowly escaped being taken by an amarsiniook.
After his return he once performed a conjuration and
summoned the atnarsiniook. A brightness was observed,
and a voice was heard from above the house saying, " If
thou hadst not happened to be an angakok thou wouldst
never have escaped ; it was I who killed the kuinasari-
nook (another monster, dwelling in certain mountains),
because it had torn a man to pieces." The auditors then
remembered how some time ago a man had been found
dead, and his body terribly mutilated ; but nobody had
been able to make out how the murder was committed,
till it was thus explained by Uvnek.
117. An Old Man, who was always anxious to
OUTDO OTHER PEOPLE, had laid a bet with his friend
as to whose wife should first get a son ; and afterwards,
as to which of their sons should in course of time become
the greatest angakok. One of them, Ajagutarsuk, at-
tained angakok wisdom in a cave ; and the other, named
Ularpana, acquired it in a dried-up lake. The latter
went on an angakok flight to the first, and while stay-
ing with him Ajagutarsuk called forth his tornaks, which
belonged to the inlanders, and instantly appeared. But
Ularpana invoked his tornaks, being the upper ingner-
suit, who totally defeated the inlanders.
118. The Revenging Animals. — A great angakok,
while kayaking about at midsummer, suddenly took a
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 457
longing for eggs ; and landing upon an island, he found
a merganser's nest with plenty of eggs, all of which he
carried away. On his way home he met with a flock of
seals, of which he harpooned one ; but after having taken
it, he heard voices from among the rest encouraging each
other to go and get hold of a piece of ice, and return as
umiaHssat On getting home he walked up to his house,
forgetting the eggs in his kayak; but he ordered his
housemates to throw down on the beach all manner of
filthy stuff to frighten away the umiarissat. In the
evening a boat was seen to arrive manned with seals,
but as soon as they scented the filth they all jumped
into the water, and the boat appeared as a piece of ice.
Later in the evening a voice was heard outside, and the
head of the gooseander emerged from the entrance with
dreadfully enlarged eyes. Addressing itself to the an-
gakok, it scolded him for having robbed it of its descend-
ants, but now it had come to fetch its eggs back, having
by help of a charm caused him to forget them and leave
them in his kayak. If he had not left them it certainly
would have frightened them all to death. Another an-
gakok in a similar case was bereft of his angakok power
by the merganser.
119. The Igdlokok. — A man had lost his beloved
cousin and friend, who in his sight had been torn to
pieces by one of those bears that are made by sor-
cery. In his despair he went out to encounter and
brave all kinds of danger by way of excitement ; and
he first killed an amarok. One evening, when stay-
ing at home, he was surprised in his lonely house by a
stranger dropping in, who explained that he also having
lost his brother was roaming about for excitement.
Being very talkative, he spent the evening there very
pleasantly, until the hostess, who had boiled some flesh
of the amarok, came and served it before the men.
The guest then burst out in loud praises of its delicious
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flavour and tempting appearance ; but before he had
taken a morsel he went on, " But I see the dish is all
aslope," and the same instant arose and vanished
through the entrance. The host immediately followed
him ; and on examining his footsteps in the snow, he
found them to be made by only one foot, so that the
guest must have been an igdlokok (whose body is only
the one half of the human body cut in twain).
Note. — In another similar story there are two guests, who at their sud-
den disappearance manifest themselves as certain stars (sif^^tut or Jdlu^-
ttlssat). The mysterious words about the sloping dish are the same.
1 20. IVIANGERSOOK TRAVELLED ALL AROUND THE
Coast of Greenland. — He started for the south, and
having passed Cape Farewell, he came on the eastward
to some light-haired people of European complexion ;
and lastly he returned through the Sound, which was
formerly open from east to west, near Ilulissat (Jakobs-
havn). When approaching his home near Godthaab he
lost his brother, who was buried upon a small island,
after them named Uviarniak (one who travelled all
around).
I2L A Married Couple remained childless
ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR BOTH BEING ANGAKOK. —
The husband and wife always used to go out kayaking
together. Once they happened to come to a foreign
place, where a young man was found in an almost dying
state. The angakok-man began a conjuration, sum-
moning the witch who had caused his sickness. He de-
tected the ghost of the witch approaching the sick youth
in order to touch him with her black hands. But the
angakok thrust his harpoon at her, hitting her heel ; and
almost at the same moment the aunt of the sick youth
died in the next house, and proved to have been the
witch. While spending the rest of the evening there,^
eating and talking in a pleasant way, the visitors noticed
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 459
the children playing on the floor ; and thinking of their
own childless state burst out, *'That crowd of boys
might almost make people envious/' They were an-
swered, " The boys yonder are the namesakes of those
whom the monster-gulls carried off as food for their
young ones " (viz., who perished in kayaks) ; whereupon
the whole assembly at once became silent.
122. An Old Man lost his only Son when they
were both reindeer-hunting up the country. After re-
turning home he often used to visit his son's grave.
Kayaking up the firth with this view, he once right be-
fore him saw an inlander pulling himself through the
water without any kayak (" using the fog as kayak "),
and after some angry words, he killed the inlander.
Another time, when he was again visiting the grave, he
was surprised at the sight of an inlander, who questioned
him as to the cause of his grief. "Yonder wretched
heap of stones is the only object of my distress," he
answered. The inlander then told him how he also had,
some time ago, lost a son who had been seal-hunting.
The old man made out that it must have been the one
he had killed ; on which he pretended to be expected
home, pushed off in his skiff, and never more visited the
grave of his son.
123. Angakorsiak was very proud of his An-
GAKOK wisdom, and always roamed about seeking
opportunities of emulating other angakut. When he
happened to surpass them, he used to mock and ridi-
cule them in a most overbearing manner. Once he
visited an angakok far up north, and challenged him to
a match, at which, in broad daylight, they were to con-
tend in working the wonders of their art before an as-
sembly. Angakorsiak began his performance by cut-
ting off his arm near the shoulder, inserting it again and
drinking the blood from the wound; after which he
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swallowed an arrow-point and made it appear again,
opened his stomach with a knife, and so on. When he
had finished, the other angakok repeated the same feats
with the utmost perfection, and then remarked, " Well,
what we have yet done amounts to nothing; but I
should now like to try a kayak-race with thee.'* They
went down in their kayaks, and the angakok of the
place, taking his way to an island, threw his harpoon at
a rock with such force as to make it enter the stone and
blood to spring from it. Angakorsiak on trying this
entirely failed, his harpoon being broken and lost. On
their way back to the shore he bent down his head from
shame, capsized his kayak, and sank. But directly after-
wards a reindeer emerged from the water, and ran up on
the beach. Shame having thus transformed him into a
reindeer, he afterwards turned a man again, and hastened
away, resolved to give up all kind of emulation in future.
Note. — Of this tale several variants exist, the traditions about the
deeds of angakut, on the whole, being numerous.
124. A Girl named Tuagtuanguak fled from her
brother-in-law, who persecuted her. Running across
the ice, she fell through ; but having again got up,
she ran on and on to the north constantly, viewing a
black spot before her. Swooning several times, and
again seeing the black spot on awaking, she mean-
while acquired angakok power. Going on in this way
for five successive days, she came to a precipice, and
setting out from its edge, she leaped across, but was
somehow wafted back through the air to the same spot.
This process she continued for five days. She then
pursued her journey north, and came to an inhabited
place, where she took up her abode, and afterwards got
married. She visited the ingnersuit, and received pre-
sents from them ; but while carrying them homewards
the gifts were wafted out of her hands, and flew back
to their first owners.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 46 1
125. The Gifts from the U^tder-world. — An old
bachelor, feeling envious of a younger one because of
his better luck in hunting and his finding more favour
with women, applied to his mother for counsel and aid.
She pointed out to him a certain spot where he would
find a large stone, and moving it aside, an opening would
appear leading straight to the under-world, where he
would come to a lake ; and on seeing two boats, he was
to let the first one pass, but was to apply to the second.
Acting upon her advice, he received a piece of matak
(whale-skin) from the second boat, by eating which he
acquired astonishing good-luck in hunting. The young
man, noticing this change of fortune, questioned him as
to the cause of his recent success, when he imparted to
him the information he had gained from his mother,
only substituting the first boat for the second. The
young man in this way also got a piece of matak, by
eating which he only secured the worst luck in his hunt-
ing. Meanwhile the old man had consumed his piece,
and went to fetch more ; but when he came to the spot
the second time, he found himself quite unable to move
the stone.
126. The Tupilak. — An. old man named Nikook,
who had given up seal-hunting, once, entirely by chance,
brought home a walrus. The middle one of some bro-
thers with whom he lived grew jealous of him at this,
and every morning repaired to the opposite shore of an
island, where he secretly worked at a tupilak. Nikook
got a suspicion of this, and following him, he surprised
the wretch in the act of allowing his own body to be
sucked by the monster, at the same time repeating the
words, " Thou shalt take Nikook." But Nikook hurried
down, and seized him, crying, " What art thou doing
there } " At that mooient the man fell down lifeless.
Meanwhile the brothers had also reached the island,
and on being guided to the place by Nikook, they found
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the tupilak still sucking the dead. They then killed it
with stones, sinking it, as well as the maker of it, into
the sea. During five nights Nikook was disturbed by a
bubbling sound, but afterwards nothing more was per-
ceived.
127. The Grateful Bear.— A married couple lived
on a lonely spot far from other people. When the man
was out on his hunting-ground his place of refuge used
to be a snow-hut. Once, when he was stopping in it, he
saw his wife running about quite naked. Greatly ex-
cited, he hastened home, but found his wife inside the
house, sitting quietly with her baby, without having
stirred. The man now went raving mad ; and the wife,
frightened at seeing him in such a state, fled from the
house with her child. When at the very point of starva-
tion she chanced to catch a partridge, but seeing a ter-
rible bald-headed bear approaching, she threw the bird
to him and made her escape. Afterwards, when she had
built herself a hut on the shore, she always got an ample
supply of newly-killed seals, which used to come drifting
in, being gifts from the grateful bear.
128. The Inhabitants of Akilinek. — Ivianger-
sook, while travelling far and wide for some time, settled
down in Akilinek, leaving descendants there. Many
years after, some people from the farthest north, in
crossing the ice, came to a crevice far off the coast, and
had some talk with people who appeared on the oppo-
site side and announced themselves as Iviangersook's
descendants in Akilinek. The countrymen from each
side alternately enumerated all the products of their
homesteads.
129. The Mother and Son as Kivigtut. — A
widow, greatly harassed by the persecutions of a man
who wanted to marry her, fled to the inland with her
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 463
little son, whom she educated with the view of making
him a hater of the male sex. She built her hut near the
border of the inland glacier, and made the acquaintance
of another woman, who led the same solitary life on a
bare hillock emerging from the glacier. When the son
had grown up, his reindeer-hunting secured them ample
subsistence. Once they were surprised by the visit of
one of her brothers, who told them that, from the time
they had disappeared, he had devoted himself to the
study of angakok science in order to find out her place
of retreat; and having attained the powers of an angakok,
he instantly discovered her trace, by means of which he
had found her out. He henceforth remained with them.
The sister died from old age, and, later on, her son fell
sick and died, but revived three times after his mother's
brother had buried him. The fourth time, however, the
latter pulled down the house on the top of him, and
then left the place. While passing the night in a cave
on his way towards the coast, he was overtaken by the
ghost of the deceased appearing in the shape of a fire,
with a voice saying, that from childhood he had been
fostered up to hate the whole male sex, and had the
other not been his mother's brother, he would certainly
have killed him.
130. The Help from Ingnersuit. — An old man
once met with an ingnersuak, who invited him to his
house, and told him that he had watched in order to
have some talk with him that no one else might hear.
He wanted to let him know that, if ever he was in want,
he only had to apply to him for help — the ingnersuak
would at any time provide him with food. The old man
from this time had a comfortable life, being always
supplied with what he required. But at last he began
to hint at the source of his riches to other people,
and henceforth the ingnersuak declined to assist him
further.
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464 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
131. The Removal of Disco Island. — Off the
southernmost part of Greenland an island was situated
which some of the inhabitants of the mainland took a
dislike to, because it cut them off from the open sea.
Two old men got the idea of removing it by help of
some magic lay. Their names were Nevingasilernak and
Nivfigfarsuk ; but another oldster, called Kiviaritajak,
rather inclined to retain the island. The first two went
in their kayaks to fasten a hair from the head of a little
child to the outside, while the last from shore tried to
keep it back by means of a thong of sealskin made fast
to it. The two old kayakers ihen pushed off, chanting
their spells and tugging the hair. At length the thong
burst, and the island got afloat ; and continually singing,
they pulled away to the north, and placed it in front of
Ilulissat. It is now Disco Island. The translation
caused the bottom of the sea to rise all along where
they travelled.
132. The Amarok. — A man who mourned the death
of a relative went out in hopes of finding some means of
excitement ; and being told that an amarok had been
heard roaring in the firth of Nook (Godthaab),he could
not be kept from going off to encounter the beast. Ac-
companied by a relative, he went up the country, and
finding the young ones of the amarok, the mourner in-
stantly killed the whole. But his companion, getting
terribly frightened, betook himself to a cave for refuge,
accompanied by the mourner. From their retreat the
relative soon saw how the old amarok came running,
holding a whole reindeer between its jaws ; and having
looked in vain for its young ones, it rushed down iQ the
lake, where it appeared to be hauling out something of a
human shape. At^the same moment, turning round to
his companion, he saw him falling helpless to the ground.
The amarok, from which nothing remains concealed, had
discovered him and taken the soul out of his body.
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TALES AND TRADITIONS. 465
133. An Old Bachelor, being a very successful
hunter, was always worried by his place-fellows about
taking to himself a wife. At last he consented ; but
when about to make a choice, none of the women at
the place appeared good enough for him. Starting in
his boat for the neighbouring hamlet, he declared he was
going to fetch the only sister of some men living there.
On his way thither he met with another kayaker, and
addressed him, " Art not thou one of the many bro-
thers?" "Yes, I am the middle one of them." "I
come to demand thy only sister in marriage, and if I
may have her I will give thee my boat and a new tent."
*' We will allow no one to get her, because she is the
only woman in our house." Having got this information
the old bachelor instantly made about, went home, and
gave up all thoughts of marrying. Being once in his
kayak, and suffering from thirst, he observed a small
stream of water running down a rock. Remaining in
his kayak, he merely turned his face upwards, so as to
let the water run into his open mouth. When his thirst
had been quenched, and he wanted to push off, his
mouth clung to the rock, being at the same time gradu-
ally prolonged, because the tide was falling; and thus
he had to remain hanging until the next tide should
float him off again.
Note. — A number of stories are found ridiculing bachelors, and all more
or less trifling, like this one. Generally their passions are represented as
being excited at the sight of a fine woman ; but on approaching her, and
perhaps even getting hold of her, she proves to be a gull, or perhaps a stone.
Others will marry none but a dwarf, or a woman without breasts. One
of them out of a piece of ice makes a little island to live upon by himself.
134. A Girl named Isserfik preferred animals to
men. Lastly, she fell in love with an eagle, that carried
her off further inland. A man went after them to fetch
her back ; but she excited the eagle against him. The
man sought refuge beneath a stone. The eagle began
to peck at it with its beak to make a hole in it ; but the
2 G Digitized by CiOOQIC
466 TALKS AND TRADITIONS.
man sent out his amulet, killed the eagle, and carried
Isserfik back to her home, where she gave birth to a
child, half man, half eagle. Finally, she lost her mind
and died.
135. The Sunrise. — A man from the east coast of
Greenland from love for his home never left it even dur-
ing the summer-time ; and among his principal enjoy-
ments was that of gazing at the sun rising out of the
ocean. But when his son grew up he became desirous
of seeing other countries, and, above all, accompanying
his countrymen to the west coast. At length he per-
suaded his father to go with him. No sooner, however,
had he passed Cape Farewell, and saw the sun about to
rise behind the land, than he insisted upon returning im-
mediately. Having again reached their home island, he
went out from his tent early next morning, and when
his people had in vain waited for his return, they went
out and found him dead. His delight at again seeing
the sunrise had overpowered and killed him.
136. The Arnarkuagsak.— An angakok performed
a conjuration in order to procure good seal-hunting.
He went down to the old hag, the arnarkuagsak, at the
bottom of the sea, and found her in a great rage. Hav-
ing entered her abode, she seized hold of her hair be-
hind one ear, grasping some bloody clothes, and after-
wards from behind the other one she fetched down a
crying baby, flinging both upon the floor. The angakok
then succeeded in propitiating her.
137. SaugaK had a quarrel with his brother and fled.
He came to a house of such length that a man could
wear out the soles of his boots wandering from one end
to the other. The master of the house had a crowd of
daughters, and an immense stock of provisions. He
ordered meat to be served up for Saugak, and forced
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
TALES AND TRADITIONS. 467
him to eat. When Saugak declared that he was sati-
ated, his host went on to point his knife at his eyes, say-
ing that as long as he could twinkle them he could also
eat. When he finally left off twinkling they served up
dried human flesh before him.
138. The Bloody Rock. — At a certain wintering-
place all the men successively disappeared on going out.
Two young lads who were still left, while roaming about
came to a mountain continually turning round, and on
one side all bloody. One youth tried the bloody path,
but fell down and perished. The other waited till the
bloody side turned away from him, and climbing gained
the summit, when he found a house, and a man who
lived by hunting eider-ducks in a lake. After having
stayed some time, and rendered assistance to this man,
he returned home safely.
139. ISIGARSIGAK AND HIS SiSTER were frightened
from home by the angakok tricks of their mother, and
fled to the south, travelling on for three years in order
to reach the end (of the land ?). Meanwhile, Isigarsigak
perceived his stomach to swell up, so as to make him
unfit for kayaking. In crossing a- frozen firth, he once
saw two ravens coming from the interior, which as they
came nearer looked like women hurrying towards the sea ;
and having caught two seals, they took them on their
shoulders and hastened back to the inland. Guided by
them, Isigarsigak came to a house, where an old woman
offered to cure his stomach. She then examined him by
liead-liftiiigy and found out that on leaving his mother
he had forgotten some hunting - bladders. Cutting
open his stomach she brought forth the bladders, which
would otherwise have made him burst, she said, if they
had been allowed to remain much longer. At that in-
stant a woman appeared at the entrance, armed with a
knife ; and they warned him to make haste if he would j
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468 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
escape her, because it was she who had killed the men
of the house. Having returned safely to his sister, he
took a fancy to trace the passage of the birds in autumn.
He travelled in his kayak until the sky became so low
that he could reach it with his paddle-oar. It had two
large holes, beyond which he discovered a sea, and was
obliged to turn back.
140. A Woman named Arnasugaussak,. on being
scolded by her parents for having broken her mother's
precious needle, fled with her daughter to the inland,
where they lived with people, who after a while were
transformed into partridges, and afterwards with others
who changed into reindeers. Finally, they returned to
the sea -coast, and saw some men flensing a whale.
While standing calling out to them they were converted
into stones.
141. A Tale from East Greenland. — Two cousins
loved each other, but one of them having a passion for
outdoing other people, grew irritated at seeing the other
not only getting first married, but also having the first
son, and that one catching seals before his own son had
got a bird. He then removed to another place, and his
son trained a dog to tear men to pieces, by feeding it
with food that had been in contact with human bones.
It had already devoured several travellers when the
cousin and his son came and attacked the dangerous
animal, and killed it between them.
142. Another Tale from East Greenland. — A
widow and her son were despised by their housemates,
and suffered want of food. At last she died, and the
child, named Kongajuk, being very sick, was. left alone
in the house. There it heard the bones of the graves
rattling, and in came its mother, leading another child
in her hand, and afterwards its father, accompanied by
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
TALES AND TRADITIONS. 469
other deceased people, who took Kongajuk along with
them to their abodes.
143. The Swimmer, a Tale from Labrador. —
A mother, who lived at a solitary place, successively
lost all her children, who were killed by enemies. Fin-
ally, she got a son, whom from his babyhood she brought
up with the aim of making him fit for dwelling in the
water like a seal. The enemies once went to the place
with the intention of killing him also. But the mother,
seeing the kayakers approach, told him to make his
escape through the water. The enemies, who observed
him jumping into the water, had no doubt they would
get hold of him ; but, swimming like a seal, he seduced
them far out to sea, when the mother whipped the sur-
face of the water with a string, causing a storm, by which
they all perished, her son being the only one saved.
Note. — From East Greenland there is a somewhat similar tale about
a man having three sons, who would not grow properly, and were brought
up as swimmers.
144. The Natives of Labrador tell how our an-
cestors and the tunneks (or tunnit, in Greenlandish tor-
nit, plural of taneJL) in days of yore lived together ; but
the tunneks fled from fear of our people, who used to
drill holes in their foreheads while yet alive. With this
view they removed from here to the north, crossing over
to Killinek (Cape Chudleigh). While dwelling among us
they had sealskins with the blubber attached for bed-
robes. Their clothes were made in the same way. Their
weapons were formed of slate and hornstone, and their
drills of crystal. They were strong and formidable,
especially one of them, called by the name of Jauranat,
from which is formed javianarpok (Greenlandish, navi-
anarpoK). Huge blocks of stone are still to be seen
which they were able to move. Some ruins of their
houses are also to be found here and there in our cQun-
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
470 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
try, chiefly upon the islands, having been built of stones,
and differing from the abodes of our people. One of our
ancestors when kayaking had a tunnek for his com-
panion, whb had a bird-spear, the points of which were
made of walrus-tooth.
Note. — This tradition is compiled from several manuscripts in German
from the missionaries in Labrador, in which the alien nation, expelled by
the present inhabitants, are called partly " Die Tunnit," and partly "Die
Gronlaender." Very probably these denominations have arisen from a mis-
understanding, induced by inquiries put to the natives as to their knowing
anything about the Greenlanders. The tunnit are almost certainly identi-
cal vrith the tomit or inlanders of the Greenland tales. The Eskimo of
Cumberland Inlet speak about the tunitdlermiut^ which signifies p>eople liv-
ing in the inland. The present Indians of Labrador are called by the Es-
kimo of the same country anllak; but it is possible they distinguish be-
tween these and the traditional or fabulous inlanders. However, the most
striking incongruity is that of the tunnit having had their abodes on the
islands, which looks as if ancient settlers of European race are hinted at.
Be this as it may, the tradition of the Labradorans should be more closely
examined.
145. The Shark as Provider. — A mother with
her daughter being abandoned by their relatives, and
helpless, were saved from starvation by a dead seal
which drifted to the shore. After a time they found an-
other, and a shark appeared to them, rising out of the
sea, and saying that now he would supply all their
wants. He took up his abode with them ; and after-
wards, when some inuarutligaks were approaching, he
took the two women on his back, along with all their
implements, and brought them away to an island.
146. A Woman named Alekakukiak had been
allied to her enemies by the bands of marriage. A poor
old wife, to whom she had shown much kindness, once
informed her of her brothers-in-law intending to kill her.
On hearing this she fled to the inland, where she first
met with a bear. Having no sort of weapon whatever,
she took a string from her hood, and cracking it like a
whip in the front of the animal, she made it fell to the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
TALES AND TRADITIONS. 47 1
ground. She proceeded in the same manner with an
amarok, and at length she reached the sea on the other
side, and came to her relatives.
Note. — A very similar, but equally trifling and insignificant fragment,
has been received from Labrador.
147. The Ocean-Spider. — A kayaker in the firth
of Godthaab once, at a place where no shoal was known
to exist, saw the bottom quite close to him. He then
suddenly recollected to have heard old people talking
of the ocean-spider, a most dangerous animal to the
kayakers. Presently he discovered a monstrous eye, and
at the distance of about a kayak-paddle's length from
it a similar one, and on tearing away from the spot a ter-
rible gap made its appearance. Indeed, if he had been a
less skilled kayaker, he would never have got off alive.
148. A Woman who was Mated with a Dog^
got ten children. When they had grown larger, she
ordered them to devour her father, whereupon she
divided them into two parties and sent them off from
home to seek their subsistence henceforth by themselves.
Five of them, who were sent up the country, grew erki-
leks ; and to the other five she gave the sole of an old
boot, and put it in the sea, where it rapidly expanded
and grew a ship, in which they went off, turning into
kavdlunaks (Europeans).
149. Katigagse 2 had no faith in the angakut, and
sometimes, when attending their conjurations, he tore
^ This is an abstract of the tale mentioned in the note to No. 1 1 (p. 143},
which for obvious reasons cannot be given in its original form. It seems to
exhibit an analogy to several traditions of other nations — the idea about the
origin of the Europeans, for instance, corresponding, as far as we know, to
the origin attributed by a Japanese popular tradition to the Ainos of the
Kurile Islands.
^ This and the following tale are only interesting as showing the deeply-
seated fear of, and belief in, the angakut.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
472 TALES AND TRADITIONS.
away the window-Curtain, and thereby dispelled all their
doings. But once when an angakok had begun his con-
juration, and announced his toi^nak to be approaching
in the shape of a fire, Katigagse tore away the curtain
which covered the entrance, and ran outside. Suddenly
he discovered a gr^t flame rushing through the air,
which struck him with terror, and made him re-enter'the
house, and trembh'ng from head to foot cling to the raf-
ters of the hut, from whence fatigue soon made him fall
to the ground. When the conjuration had been fin-
ished, and the fire kept off, Katigagse was missed. At
length they brought him forth from underneath the
ledge, all covered with firlth, in which state he left the
house, never to afttend angakok service any more.
150. OrdlavarsuK despised the angakut, and never
used to attend their conjurations. But once spending
an evening at another place, in a house where an anga-
kok went on performing his art, he became so fond of
the women's song, that suddenly he took a fancy to be-
come an angakok himself. Imitating the angakut's
fashion, he betook himself to lonely places, and called
for a tornak. At length a giant-like man appeared,
armed with a long staff, with which he would touch him.
But Ordlavarsuk got terrified, and turning round to
the beach walked through some shallow water to an
island, whither the demon was unable to follow him.
The tornak having in vain offered himself to his disposal,
turned back and disappeared. Ordlavarsuk then repent-
ing his foolishness, called out for him again, but received
no answer, and never more succeeded in calling forth a
tornak. ,
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Page 2, line 5, for ** only an " read " the only. "
M 2, line 2'jyfor " southemnjost " read " south-eastern."
M 3, line 16^ for '* North and South " read " South and North."
II 5, line 13, yJ^ "these introductory rr -narks" read *' the following
introduction (page 83. ) *?
II 1 5, line 3, read ** r." The letter r is sometimes, but not necessarily,
marked with an apostrophe, or headed by a comma, to make
it sound like a very guttural German c/i.
II 15, line 16, for ** is allowed " read *'is not allowed.'*"
II 15, line 30, for ** igdlorssualiR " read ^ igdlorssualik. "
II 17, line 22, for " sentence'" read *' subject."
II 19, line iOffor ** idglorssuaK " read ** igdlorssuaK. "
II 20, line Syfor** —as " read ** as—"
II 20, line 10, for ** saavekarpok " read "savekarpoK."
II 22, line 12, for " takugivkit, &c., nalugavKit," read** takugivkit, &c. ,
nalugavkit.'*
II 23, line 3Si/^^ "Jiarbarous and " read ** so-called."
II 35, line 15, in "persons; threatening," omit the semicolon.
II 48, line 4, y2?r " kiliopak, &c., kukiop&gak," read " kilivfak, &c.,
kukivfdgak."
II 49, line 24, for ** sorcery " read " witchcraft."
II 62, line 7, for * * amarkuagsa *' read * * arnarkuagsak. "
.. 66, line 19, for " haiji " read " ha."
M 69, line 21 f for " breaks" read "dotted lines."
II 72, line 6, for " has been above stated " read •" will be explained in
the following introduction."
II 73, line 26, for " on the coast (Tschoukschees) " read " or the Coast -
Tschoukschees."
II 84, line S^tfor **were astonished" read "were apparently aston-
ished."
II 85, line iT^for " shorter" read "other."
II 90, line 24, for " means " read " mean."
II. 90, line 36, for " a barbarous " read "a so-called barbarous."'
M 94, line 12, for " beard-spear " read " bird-spear. "
M 1 79, line 5, >r " lanced " read * * landed. "
.1 179, line 7, for *' half " read " hold."
M 277, line 31, the words " thereby, &c, rulers," to be put in parentheses.
II 344, line 2^ for " brothers " read " brother."
II 356, line 20, for " frog-fishing " read "fishing frog-fish. "
II 410, lines 8 and 1 1, for " brother " read * * brothers."
M 41 1, line 25, for " brothers " read " brother. "
" 429, line 35, for " wild " read " wide."
M 443, line 20 J for "lead " read " lean. "
M 445, line 29, for " Karasuk " read ** Karusuk."
.. 453, line 24, for "a wizard" read "an angakok-'^.^.^.^^^^^Q^Qgl^
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